120 they are Recipes

gone are the days where the bride and groom share a slice of a 3, 4, or 5 tier wedding cake. nowadays some people are opting for a more simple cake solution, yet they still want the elegance that a large tiered cake offers. enter on stage the simple yet elegant cupcake., versatile cupcakes are standing along side and, in some cases, replacing larger cakes these days. below are some helpful hints if you want to use cupcakes for the main cake at your wedding., tip #1 : arrangement, how you arrange your cupcakes is as important if not more important than the taste. everyone wants a breathtaking wedding cake at their reception so arranging your cupcakes to give this appearance is very necessary., my personal favorite way of arranging my cupcakes is to stack 4 or 5 boxes on top of each other to form a tree of sorts. i choose boxes that are approximately 4 to 5 inches high. i like 24 inch square boxes then 18 inches square then 12 inches then 6 inches square. this gives me a cupcake ledge of 3 inches when the boxes are stacked., decorate your boxes as you wish. beautiful paper wrapped around the boxes then a ribbon all the way around is a great decorating combination ., your wedding cake cupcakes can then be placed on the ledges and on top of the boxes for a beautiful arrangement for your wedding., arrangement idea for your wedding cupcakes is to place cupcakes underneath raised cake platters. larger cakes or more cupcakes can be placed on top of the platters., how your cupcakes taste and even how many different flavors you offer are both very important to the overall success of your wedding cupcakes. i think 1 of the best reasons to have wedding cupcakes instead of a large wedding cake would be that you can have many different kinds of cakes. not everyone prefers the same type of cake and frosting so having 2 or 3 different types of cake flavors would be ideal., three of my favorite flavors are vanilla , chocolate, and lemon cupcakes. these are a great combination for any special occasion that you may choose to serve cupcakes. you can either serve all of the different flavors in the same cups with the same decoration or you can use different cups and/or different decorations for each cake flavor you choose., skimp on the ingredients for your wedding cupcakes. fresh cupcakes made from your favorite cupcake recipes are always the best choice. boxed cake mixes just won tsp cut i for special occasion cupcakes. the same goes for frosting. make your frosting instead of buying it prepackaged from a grocery store. if you don tsp feel confident making your own, you could always buy some freshly made frosting from a local bakery., presentation is everything when dealing with weddings. you should make sure your cupcakes are just the right size so they are absolutely gorgeous when presented. the entire purpose of serving cupcakes at a wedding is to give your guests a small taste of a wonderful dessert. small is the key word here. you don tsp want cupcakes that are larger than an actual teacup. if they are, then they should be called mini cakes and not cupcakes., also, it would cost you a fortune to bake mini cakes for each of your guests. the right size cupcake will offer just the right amount of cake for each person attending and will also likely save you money., be careful not to err on the side of your cupcakes being too small. if your cupcakes are too small, you may run out of cupcakes before you guests sweet teeth are satisfied. you also run the risk of having too much frosting on a small cupcake which could ruin the overall taste of your wedding cupcakes., i ve found that the perfect size cupcakes are baked in 1/2 cup wells that i fill approximately 1/2 to 2/3 full of cupcake batter. make sure you carefully measure the cupcake batter each time you fill a well. this will make sure that your cupcakes come out of the oven all the same size., i hope that these tips will help you produce the most beautiful wedding cupcakes that anyone has ever seen! good luck

black plums (if they are large, use 4, if they are small use 6), sliced, sugar, melted butter, plus extra for baking pan, all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, kosher salt, milk, honey, vanilla extract, eggs, vanilla ice cream , for serving

chicken pieces (thighs are the best, breasts work as well, use 4 thighs if they are large, bone in, more thighs if tsp), bacon (more or less to taste, enough to line bottom of pan), rice, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, milk (fill empty soup can with ), salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika

a how -to -tip from neil patrick hudson former chef at the nantucket hotel, canola oil, butter, bay scallops, patted dry, garlic clove, slivered, lemon juice, white wine (not cooking wine), salt, coarsely ground black pepper, chopped fresh parsley

st. louis ribs 1 rack, soak, sugar, salt, water to cover, sugar 1 cup, paprika 4 tbsp, black pepper 1 tsp, lawrys seasoned salt 3 tsp, molasses powder 2 tbsp ( i found powdered molasses on line, waiting for it to arrive) see ingredients for substitution., baste, ketchup 1/2 cup, brown sugar 1/4 cup, chili sauce 1/4 cup found near the ketchup in the store ., apple cider 1/4 cup, liquid smoke 1/4 cup, lemon juice 3 tsp, molasses 1/4 cup. substitute for powder. watch your end cooking time as the sugar will want to burn easily. but it gives the nice char effect and taste., pic of the slab is the prime cut of ribs. i personally think they are better than baby back ribs. st. louis have way more meat. i stand to be corrected but st. louis ribs are the section of ribs you see in the pics. you pay more but you don tsp get the brisket or top part of the whole rib cage. there is a flap of meat on the back side to cut off. the ribs you see ready to be marinated are like the fillet mignon of the rib. geez these taste so good i can tsp hardly wait to cook two sides today for the 4th. marinating since last night. i am killing myself writing this.

whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, egg, bananas , make sure they are ripe, bran flakes , unprocessed (bob s red mill sells this- among other brands, these are only for adding to recipes, not a hot or co), skim milk, honey, nutmeg, freshly grated, cinnamon, walnuts

i use a 3 1/2 to 4 lb chuck roast, well marbelized with fat, and if you can find a bone-in roast, that s better yet (but it s almost always boneless chuck that you find at the grocer). i like to quickly rinse the roast in cold water just before i lay it on the cutting board to coat it with seasoned flour. place the following ingredients in a small baggie and shake the closed bag to mix it up, flour, salt, garlic salt, crazy mixed-up salt (if you can tsp get this seasoning, use seasoned salt instead, but jane s is by far the best), pepper, use your hands to generously pat the seasoned flour into the roast, on both sides, flipping the roast a couple times and repeating the process., in a dutch oven or roasting pan large enough to hold the roast, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat - you want your pan and oil to be hot enough to sear the roast well when you put it in the pan. when the oil is just about to the smoking point, put the roast in and cover the pan. let the meat sear until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip the roast. let it sear for a minute or two on the second side, then add, beef stock (i much prefer the boxed stock to the canned broth - it just seems to give the gravy a much richer taste in the end), cover the roasting pan and place it in a pre-heated 300 degree oven. roast for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falls apart easily. i check the roast each hour, quickly opening the lid, just to make sure the stock has not evaporated. as long as your pan has a good seal on it, this shouldn tsp happen. but if necessary, add more stock to the pan., an hour before the roast is done , prepare the mashed potatoes. peel 6 large red potatoes (these work better - at least for me - because they are much moister than the russets, so the mashed potatoes are creamier); cut into 1/4th, and place them in a large saucepan - rinse the cut potatoes 2 times in cold water, then cover them in fresh cold water and place the pan over medium high heat; boil until tender. this is usually about 30 minutes, but it depends on the size of your cuts, so just cook them until you can easily insert a fork into a potato. drain potatoes well, reserving 1 cup of the water for the gravy. add the following to the hot potatoes, butter, sour cream, milk, salt, crazy mixed up salt (use regular salt or garlic salt if jane s salt is not available), pepper, i use a hand masher , but you can use an electric mixer or however you chose to mash the potatoes into a creamy yet firm texture. add more milk if potatoes are too stiff. place the mashed potatoes in a buttered casserole dish, cover with foil, and place in the oven to keep warm while you make the gravy., prepare the gravy, melt 2 tbsp butter, stir in 1/4 cup flour to make a paste, stir in enough beef stock to thin the paste enough to pour., finished roast from the pan and place it on a plate; cover meat with foil to keep warm., place the roasting pan over a medium flame and bring the liquid to a gentle boil (i usually seem to have about 1 1/2 to 2 cups liquid in the pan when the roast is done - if you have less, just use the beef stock to increase your liquid)., use a whisk to gradually whisk in the butter/flour/stock liquid., add 2 tbsp beef base - i use tone s (i prefer beef base to buillon - has a richer flavor and is really worth having on hand, but if you can tsp find this, try knorr s beef buillon extra large cubes), add the 1 cup of reserved potato water, add 1/2 cup beef stock, taste the gravy and see if you want more seasoning. i usually find i don tsp need to add anything at this point, since i have the seasoning from the flour coating and the stock and the beef base. if you think you need more seasoning, add salt and pepper to your taste. beef base will also give you more saltiness., keep the gravy warm while you uncover the meat and use 2 forks to pull the meat apart into small to medium chunks., you are now ready to assemble...

ricotta cheese , not skim, mozzarella cheese , not skim, shredded and divided, egg beaters egg substitute, parmesan cheese, frozen spinach, thawed and wrung dry (or 1/4 cup parsley, flat leaf, chopped), cracked black pepper, lasagna noodles (i use the trader joe no boil brand and they are perfect for an 8-inch brownie pan), spaghetti sauce (or your favorite sauce) or 28 oz alfredo sauce (or your favorite sauce), chiffonade basil (to garnish )

hass avocadoes , make sure they are ripe, garlic salt, fresh lemon juice, dried onion flakes, tomato (finely diced & deseeded), mayonnaise (hellmans full fat), sour cream, fresh ground pepper, salt , if needed (try it first)

vodka, lemons , zest of (make sure they are washed well), sugar, water

all-purpose flour, sugar, egg, beaten, milk, salt, bananas (the firmer they are, the better), peanut oil (for frying )

sugar, oil, coconut extract, eggs, buttermilk, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, shaved nuts make sure they are shaved (your preferance, walnuts, almond...), coconut flakes, glaze, sugar, water, butter, coconut extract

risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, arborio rice, beef , chicken or vegetable stock, butter, freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, an oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes to taste, optional, good balsamic vinegar , optional

shrimp, white pearl onions (frozen are perfect, they are soft, easy to skewer and cook quickly, 2 boxes will be around 24 onions), unsalted butter, mango, pureed, fresh minced ginger, cilantro, fine chopped, kosher salt, ground black pepper

olive oil, chopped onion, chopped garlic cloves, stalks chopped celery, chopped green peppers, chopped mushroom, chopped eggplant (2 if they are small), chopped zucchini (2 medium sized), tomato paste, tomato sauce, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, lasagna noodles, mozzarella cheese , sliced fairly thin, ricotta cheese or 1 1/2 lbs cottage cheese, grated parmesan cheese, sesame seeds (the seeds and nuts add to the texture and solidity but they can be overdone and dominate. be careful) (optional) or sunflower seeds (the seeds and nuts add to the texture and solidity but they can be overdone and dominate. be careful) (optional) or celery salt (the seeds and nuts add to the texture and solidity but they can be overdone and dominate. be careful) (optional) or diced almonds (the seeds and nuts add to the texture and solidity but they can be overdone and dominate. be careful) (optional)

cps flour, baking powder, salt, cp sugar 2 eggs, egg yolks, melted butter, shredded orange or lemon peel, cp chopped almonds , hazelnuts or pistacios, preheat oven to 325, place dry ingredients in large bowl and mix, make well in center of flour mixture and add eggs, yolks, butter and peel, stir til dough begins to form a ball, add nuts and mix well, turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and devide into three pieces., shape each portion into a 14 inch log and place on lightly greased baking sheet, bake for 30 minutes or untill firm and light brown, oven and cool about 15 minutes, place on cutting board and carefully slice diagonally., place slices on cookie shhe and bake 10 minutes, turn over and bake another 10 minutes, these will be very crisp and a beautiful golden brown. they are definitely worth the work. taste great with a good cup of tea.

hass avocadoes, half large onion, diced (red or white ), fresh jalapeno (you can also used jar jalapenos), cilantro, fresh lime, fresh tomato, diced, garlic clove, mashed (make sure they are very fine pieces), salt, fresh ground pepper, chili powder, cayenne (for those that like spice), sugar

ripe avocados (scoop out the inside and keep 1 seed), roma tomatoes chopped, lemons (2 if they are small), red onion chopped, garlic pressed, fresh cilantro chopped (you can always add more...use your judgement), jalapeno pepper take the seeds out and dice, salt , pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste