The Big Game

It's almost Super Bowl Sunday, and admittedly, I am so out of it this year, I didn't even know who was playing this year until I heard it on NPR yesterday. This is also a year when I've seen maybe one of the Oscar contenders, and that's about it. Can we say, not getting out and about that much?

Well, at least this weekend gives us all a reason to stay in and on the couch all day Sunday. Except maybe for your grocery run for some good eats. Super Bowl Sunday probably gives us our first chance to indulge since the holidays and getting back onto the workout wagon in January. But it's important not to go way off the deep end because you still want to stay on track for spring.

In this post, I've included a few of our favorite party-timers, and I've managed to cut a wee bit of fat from each. So maybe you can feel somewhat less of a couch tater with these. These are mostly appetizers, with a dessert thrown in there for good measure. Always, you know. ;-)

So enjoy the game, especially the commercials--some of which you can see online already, including the return of Ferris Bueller. Oh yeah.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 cup diced celery (about 2-3 stalks)

1 cup Frank’s Red Hot hot sauce

1 8-oz package light cream cheese, softened

1 cup light ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing

Place chicken in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Poach chicken in water 10-12 minutes over low heat. Cover to simmer and cook. Drain and shred chicken. In a separate bowl, mix chicken and celery with hot sauce until completely combined. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to marinate. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9" x 9" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a saucepan over low heat, melt cream cheese and ranch. Whisk until smooth (be careful not to burn). Add chicken mixture and mix until completely combined. Spread in 9 x 9 baking dish and bake at for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve hot or warm with Fritos Scoops (or another hearty chip that can stand up to thick dips). 

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 8-oz package light cream cheese, softened

1 container light Alfredo sauce (such as Buitoni, found in the refrigerated section)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 package frozen spinach (10-oz box), thawed and drained

1 cup marinated artichokes, drained and chopped

1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil, drained

2 cups shredded Italian part-skim four-cheese blend (mix of mozzarella and parmesan at minimum), divided

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9" x 9" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Combine cream cheese and Alfredo sauce until thoroughly mixed (use electric mixer if possible). Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix in vegetables and stir until completely combined. Add 1-1/2 cups cheese and mix thoroughly. Spread in baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned on top. Serve with pita or tortilla chips, or sliced baguette.

Chewy Chunky Blondies (From Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan)

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray an 9” x 13” baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment. Spray parchment and set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in chips and nuts. Scrape batter into pan and use spatula to spread evenly over top

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. The blondies should pull away from the sides of the pan just a little. Cool 15 minutes before serving. Makes 32 (2” x 11/2”) bars.

'Tis the Year of the Dragon

January 23 is Chinese New Year. Time to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, a sign of good fortune and great power. Anyone born this year should be honored and respected. So how about doing that with a nice dim-sum-oriented spread?
 

To me, potstickers are a Far East comfort food. There's something about a pair of chopsticks, a chubby dumpling, and some sweet and salty dipping sauce. I really enjoy some crunchy crab rangoon for starters when getting Chinese take-out, but I know everyone can go without the fried-food calories this time of year. I've revamped a longtime recipe in my arsenal to be baked in phyllo dough instead of using wonton wrappers and frying them. And who doesn't love a little oriental-inspired dessert? Matcha (green tea) latte chocolate chip cupcakes with Chinese five-spice fudge frosting wrap up your trip on the Oriental Express nicely. So go on, celebrate the Year of the Dragon with a little honor and respect to the ultimate of Chinese comfort food gods!

Chinese Potstickers (adapted from Cooking Light)

For the dumplings:
3 cups chopped napa (Chinese) or savoy cabbage (about 4 ounces)
4 dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1 1/2 ounces
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
5 ounces lean ground pork
5 ounces ground chicken breast
1 large egg white
48 gyoza skins
1/4 cup canola oil, divided
1 1/3 cups water, divided
 

For the sauce:
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons minced green onions
1/3 low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons chile puree with garlic sauce, such as Sambal Olek
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
 

To prepare dumplings, cook cabbage in boiling water 1 minute or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Cool; chop.

Place mushrooms in a small bowl; cover with boiling water. Cover and let stand 30 minutes or until tender. Drain mushrooms; chop.
 

Combine cabbage, mushrooms, 1/4 cup green onions, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and next 7 ingredients (through egg white) in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.

Working with 1 gyoza skin at a time (cover remaining gyoza skins to prevent drying), spoon 2 teaspoons pork mixture into center of each skin. Moisten edges of gyoza skin with water. Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal. Place dumpling, seam side up, on a baking sheet sprinkled with remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch (cover loosely with a towel to prevent drying). Repeat procedure with remaining gyoza skins and filling.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 dumplings to pan; cook 3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until water evaporates. Repeat procedure with remaining canola oil, dumplings, and water.

To prepare the sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve sauce with dumplings. You can also use prepared Gyoza Sauce or Ponzu Dipping Sauce found in your grocer's international foods aisle. Yields 16 servings (serving size: 3 dumplings and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

Phyllo Crab Rangoon (adapted from the kitchen of L. Peters)

1 8-oz packages) light cream cheese, room temperature
1 can (6 oz) lump crabmeat, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
cooking spray or melted butter (depending on how many calories you want to save!)
1 roll phyllo dough (from a 2-roll package), thawed

Combine the cream cheese and crabmeat and mix until smooth. Add salt, garlic, and onion powder. Unroll phyllo dough and follow this tutorial if you've never made phyllo triangles before. Place triangles on parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving. Serve with sweet and sour sauce or soy sauce. Makes 24 appetizers.

Green Tea Latte Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar

1/4 cup Trader Joe's Matcha Latte Mix 
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract 
2-3 drops green food color
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with about 15 cupcake liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift first four ingredients together and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and latte mix together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well each time. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk in four additions (flour, milk, flour, milk) and mix until virtually no lumps (about 3-5 minutes). Add almond extract and 2-3 drops of food color. Stir to combine. Divide evenly in lined cupcake pan (no more than 2/3 full) and bake 16-18 minutes until golden or toothpick comes clean. Cool completely before frosting. Makes 12-15 cupcakes.

Chinese Five-Spice Chocolate Buttercream

3 3/4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon Chinese Five-Spice Powder (pre-ground McCormick and Penzey's brands also available)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium bowl, sift together sugar and cocoa; set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, and five-spice powder and mix to combine. Add milk and vanilla and continue beating until creamy. If desired, add more milk until frosting is spreading consistency. Fill a pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe on top of cupcakes or use small spatula and spread on desired amount. For a cute fortune cookie cupcake topper, follow this link.

Champagne Wishes and Sorbet Dreams

Ah, the new year... A chance to purge the old and bring in the new. Typical vows to get in shape, quit eating sweets, and cook healthier meals. But if you have to break those resolutions at all, and you can at least make it to Valentine's Day before doing that, these treats will be worth veering off that path and onto a pink-treat one: pink champagne cake and raspberry prosecco (rosé) sorbet.

I love rosés, especially champagne or sparkling rosés--good, dry cavas, proseccos, and bruts. Rosé is usually considered a summer drink, but it rears its beautiful blush head this time of year in sparkling format everywhere. For these two recipes, made this past weekend to celebrate ringing in 2012, I used Gruet Brut Rosé ($15.99 at Whole Foods). We had this a few years ago for NYE dinner out on the town, and it really fits the bill. Don't cheapen out when baking with champagne. It's well worth getting the good stuff, since alcohol notoriously bakes off in the process. And although the sorbet recipe calls for prosecco, I went ahead and used more brut rosé, since it's what I had on hand for the cake, and it definitely made both dishes. Plus, by using some for the cake and some for the sorbet, it leaves you with just enough to enjoy a glass while baking! ;-)

Rosé Champagne Layer Cake (adapted from The Boozy Baker by Lucy Baker)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated cane sugar
6 large egg whites
2 large whole eggs
1 1/3 cups brut rosé

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray with baking spray three 9-inch round layer cake pans. Line with parchment circles and butter/spray again. Dust with flour and tap out excess.

In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg whites and eggs and beat until smooth, about another 2 minutes. Alternately add the flour mixture with the rosé, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating well after each addition.

Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans. (I used about 2 1/2 cups of batter per pan and then had extra batter for some cupcakes.) Bake 28-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool cakes for 15 minutes in their pans, and then remove them and allow to cool completely on wire rack before filling and frosting. Fill with cream cheese frosting, mixed with 2 tablespoons pink sanding sugar and 2 tablespoons strawberry vanilla sugar, and frost with Swiss meringue buttercream (plus a few drops of pink food coloring). I also used India Tree Oyster Pearls along with plain vanilla buttercream for piping the decor on top and down the sides, for a "bubbly" effect.

Makes one three-layer 9-inch cake (12-15 servings) plus about a half dozen cupcakes, or one three-layer 10-inch cake (20-24 servings) with no extra batter. Serve at room temperature with raspberry rosé sorbet.

Raspberry Rosé Sorbet (adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox)

1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup water plus 1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups prosecco or rosé

Gently mash together raspberries and 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl to macerate. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup sugar with 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar. (You are making a simple syrup.) Transfer syrup to a bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

Scrape the raspberries and their juice into a blender, add 1 1/2 cups cold water, and purée until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing the purée with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. You should have about 3 cups of raspberry purée. Discard seeds. Add sugar syrup and prosecco or rosé to purée and stir to combine.

Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Due to the alcohol, it may still be slushy after churning. Transfer sorbet to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve. Makes 1 quart.

It's German'S Chocolate Cake, People!

I have this theory that the type of frosting on a cake is what truly makes the cake, not so much the cake itself. I think red velvet cake as one of them. My theory is that people love the cream cheese frosting more than anything. And maybe the color... But there's really not enough cocoa in the recipe to make it a chocolate cake, so I have to laugh out loud when people try to qualify it as one. There are only two ounces per two layers' worth of batter!

The other cake I think is really made by its frosting is German Chocolate Cake. Or really German's Chocolate Cake. Many of you have probably heard the story by now. It was never really chocolate cake invented by the Germans. This link tells the rather humorous story of its come-about and how it went from being a recipe developed by a man named German to actually being considered German. And the original recipe from Baker's provides both the cake recipe and the complementary coconut pecan frosting, which is another topping that, in my opinion, makes the cake. When all is said and done, it's kind of a very basic, "barely there" sort of chocolate cake. It's that flavor carnival called coconut pecan frosting that's really (forgive the overuse of cliche) the icing on the cake!

I've tried out several different from-scratch recipes for coconut pecan frosting, all egg-based and a whole lot of work because you're building from a custard. None of them really turn out like I need them to... Most are too runny and make moving the cake for delivery very hard. Since I move this kind of cake on a regular basis, I need a more stable frosting. Also, a lot of folks hosting parties don't have room in the refrigerator by the time the cake arrives. It's so packed with party fixings, they can't make room for a three-layer monstrosity that might need refrigeration because of a dairy- or egg-based frosting. With your various holiday gatherings taking place near and far, you don't want a mudslide in the backseat before you get there!

So I've come across this great vegan recipe that holds together like a dream and is fine for situations lacking refrigeration. Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World is an excellent source for lots of vegan cake and frosting recipes, but its Coconut Pecan Fudge Frosting is the real winner in the book. I'm not really sure why it's called "fudge" frosting though, as there's no sign of chocolate in the recipe anywhere. Typo maybe? Who knows... But seriously, it's so good, you can eat it with a spoon. It totally makes the cake!

Coconut Pecan Fudge Frosting (adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

1/2 cup rice milk
1/4 cup arrowroot or cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 cups brown sugar
3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon

Whisk rice milk, arrowroot/cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, stir together coconut milk and brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture starts to boil. Turn heat down to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Whisk rice milk mixture once more and then slowly pour it into the coconut milk mixture, stirring continuously to incorporate.

Stir mixture continuously until it darkens again and gets very thick and smooth, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and beat in vanilla, whiskey, pecans, and coconut. Stir until everything is completely combined. Cool to room temperature before frosting cake. Makes enough to cover a three-layer 8- or 9-inch cake.

Liquered Up

As if I didn't already make enough things from scratch around here, I have now decided to take on homemade liqueurs. They're not difficult, just a little time-consuming, in that you have to wait a month or two to consume!

I have been fascinated with limoncello since a good friend of mine in St. Louis had me sample some on a night on the town. It is very much a special-occasion thing to me and worth every second of the immediate buzz I get upon the first few sips! The recipe below is outstanding and quite worth the wait as well (it needs about a month "stewing" time). Go ahead and splurge for the fancy hand-made gnocchi or ravioli at your local gourmet shop when your limoncello is ready to go. It'll be one of the best dinners and after-dinner drinks you've ever made.

At a recent get-together, Zesty Lemon recently graced me with the presence of his homemade amaretto. I won't divulge his recipe, since it came from a friend of his, but I can pass this one along that he sent me after our evening hanging out. This one uses real almonds and takes a little more time than the limoncello, but if it's anything like the speedy version he gave me, it's got to be good!

Last but not least, I highly recommend the book Infused: 100+ Recipes for Infused Liqueurs and Cocktails. Unfortunately, it's out of print, so it's only available used. I did find it at my local library, but then realized I was copying so many recipes, I figured I might as well buy it. It does use the same general rule of thumb throughout, which is a certain percentage of fruit, vegetable, or essence to a certain amount of alcohol, so maybe you won't really need the whole book once you've made a few.

Or maybe you think I'm insane that I'd take on the task of liqueur-making with everything else I insist on not purchasing ready-made. Isn't pie crust, buttercream, and granola from scratch enough?

Limoncello

Adapted from A Table in the Tarn: Living, Eating and Cooking in Rural France, by Orlando Murrin

5 lemons
4 1/4 cups vodka
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup sugar
5-6 clean 12-oz bottles

Rinse the lemons and soak them overnight in cold water. Drain and dry. Zest the lemons using a vegetable peeler, zester, or grater. (I used a vegetable peeler, making half-inch-wide strips and breaking those into 2-inch pieces.)

Stuff the zest into a 1.5-liter bottle. Pour the vodka into the bottle, seal, and shake well. Leave for a month in a dark, dry place, and shake once a week.

Heat water and sugar on medium-high heat until dissolved. Boil 1 minute and allow to cool (you are making a simple syrup). Pour vodka out of 1.5-liter bottle into bowl, and mix in simple syrup. Using a funnel and strainer, strain into clean bottles. Seal tightly and store in freezer. Shake well before serving. Serving size: 1 oz. Makes two 750-ml bottles or about 5 1/2 12-oz bottles for gift-giving!

We Are All Probably Screaming for Ice Cream Right About Now...

Chicago just went from cloudy, rainy, damp, and 40-something to hot, humid, and 90--in about a week. That's nothing new around here, a city that can see a 40-degree spread in a single day. But I've gone a little crazy lately with making ice cream and sorbet in order to debunk the heat, and I need to share the fun!

If you don't have a countertop ice cream machine, now would be a great time to get one. Most quality brands are $50 to $70 for the season, and many companies are offering rebates right now. I own both a Cuisinart 1-1/2-quart Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker and the freezer attachment for my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Both work really well and require only an overnight freeze of the mixing bowl. If you have a deep freeze or chest freezer, you can just store your freezer bowls in there all the time. Unfortunately, I cannot report on the old-fashioned ice-and-rock-salt electric or hand-crankers, as I've never worked with one, but I highly recommend a small electric one if you have the cabinet or counter space. They're affordable little workhorses (I've had my Cuisinart for more than 10 years), and you can purchase additional freezer bowls so that there's always one frozen and ready to go, making it easy to freeze multiple flavors at a time. It has recently gone through a redesign, and Cuisinart has also since introduced a 2-quart version, which I highly recommend. Most ice cream recipes, especially when adding mix-ins, tend to "enlarge" through the churning process, and so it's nice to have the extra bowl capacity. The Kitchen Aid attachment is pricier, but for those of you who already have a 4- to 6-quart stand mixer parked on the countertop, it's nice to just be able to purchase an attachment instead of a whole new machine. Please note though, with small electric makers and attachments, ice cream requires an additional setting time in the freezer for a couple of hours or overnight. I have heard from ice-and-rock-salt owners that you can eat it right out of the bucket when churned. Just know that those machines require purchasing the special salt and having lots of ice on hand to get started.

My favorite books on the subject include The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, and More, by Bruce Weinstein, and The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments, by David Lebovitz. I've actually lost count of the number of recipes I've done from the Weinstein book. Even the mix-ins (he provides sometimes up to 10 variations of several of the recipes) are amazing crowd pleasers. Favorites around here from that book include the ice creams cheesecake, corn (yes, kinda crazy but GOOD!), key lime pie, green tea, coffee, peanut butter (add some chocolate chips--he doesn't suggest it, but mini-chocolate chips are a great mix-in), peach, pumpkin, and white chocolate. And the sorbets banana, honeydew, and coconut. Weinstein provides two types: standard custard-style (heavy on the eggs, so very rich) and egg-free Philadelphia-style, which is much lighter and often has less sugar. Just a warning though... Philadelphia-style requires at least overnight in the freezer after churning, to make sure it's frozen solid enough for scooping. This most likely has to do with the lack of eggs, which provide a lot of structure and intensity to custard-style ice creams. Lebovitz's is a little more gourmet, with things like pear caramel and goat cheese, but he offers a lot more sauces, toppings, and mix-ins than the Weinstein book. Both authors take cooks through the custard making process rather efficiently, and you can churn/freeze according to your maker's manufacturer's directions. I am not as well-versed on gelato (which contains more milk than cream and is often viewed as lower in fat content as a result), and neither book really tackles that subject. I might be able to include an addendum to this entry, after I take the gelato class I enrolled in at Canady Le Chocolatier later this month. So stay tuned...

Both the Weinstein and Lebovitz books include sorbet and granita recipes, sauces, cookie recipes for making ice cream sandwiches, and lots of other ice cream accompaniments. I've been cooking out of the Weinstein book for as long as I've owned my little Cuisinart, and I'm nowhere near done with everything I could make out of it!

If you're a cone lover like I am (the extra crunch of a sugar cone really makes the treat for me), you might want to consider getting a pizzelle or waffle cone maker. You will need to purchase cone rollers (most pizzelle makers don't include them but some waffle cone makers do) in order to make cones, or you can make (rather large!) ice cream sandwiches.

I'll leave you with an absolute must this season--hot fudge sauce! This is an easy recipe that cans and freezes well, and reheats perfectly. You can even steep spices (cinnamon sticks, ginger) or herbs (lavender, basil, orange or lemon zest) in the heavy cream at the heating stage to add flavor. So go on... scream for ice cream! You deserve a cool blast this already-hot summer!

Hot Fudge Sauce

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup (Karo makes a 33% less fat version)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a microwave-safe container, heat the chocolate and butter in the microwave on half power in 30 second intervals until melted. Set aside to cool.

Heat cream in medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar and corn syrup and stir until sugar dissolves completely. Add cream mixture to melted chocolate and return to pot. Continue to heat mixture over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the vanilla and serve hot. Makes about 1 cup. Can be pressure canned or frozen for later use.

The Big O

Oprah, that is... The curtain's been called, the lights are out, and she's probably relaxing poolside at her mansion in California by now, but I managed to get my foot in that door before it closed by landing a spot on a baking team for one of the final shows.

For William and Kate's wedding, Oprah hosted a royal tea party, where crumpets, cookies, and William's favorite chocolate cake were served. Chef Darren McGrady, Diana's personal chef since her wedding to Charles until her death, came to town, courtesy of Oprah's peeps, and through a few highly valued connections, I got to work with him to make all the menu items for the show. My pictures from the two-day experience don't do it all justice (and unfortunately, neither did the actual episode, where he hardly got any face time with Oprah and our goods were hardly glimpsed by viewers), but as they always say, the experience is what counts. Chef Darren was so charming and full of fun stories cooking for the Queen, Queen Mum, Diana, and the boys. It was a great experience, and I think I made some connections for a lifetime. That's "The Word" in this business of who you know and how you know them!

Check out our Flickr roll for more pictures from these day(s) of thunder!