Chocolate Pecan Pie

Last week, I detailed my croque madame at the Elysian Cafe in Hoboken. Though it didn't hold a candle to my first croque madame en Paris, it was a delish adaptation. I also mentioned that my brunch companion and long time friend, Maggie, will be leaving me today as she moves back to Missouri to be closer to her fam. Over the last few months, we've developed a tradition of Sunday brunch, followed by multi-hour Castle marathons while enjoying sweet treats, like sugar cookies and Irish soda bread. But for our very last brunch and Castle viewing sesh (we just can't get enough, and the recent two-parter just added more fuel to the fire), Maggie whipped up a Chocolate Pecan Pie for the record books. Adapted from the southern belle herself, Paula Deen, this pie had all the right moves. Both sugary and nutty, this pie couldn't be easier. Let's get down to it...

Chocolate Pecan Pie
*Adapted from Paula Deen
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
2 cups pecan halves
3 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons good-quality bourbon, optional (...since M never developed a taste for the hard stuff, she omitted and it tasted just wonderful sans bourbon)
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (or as a time saver, you can use morsels)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In unbaked pie shell, cover the bottom with pecans. In mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and eggs. (Note: make sure the butter isn't too hot, or you'll get scrambed eggs) Add corn syrup, bourbon (if using), sugar and chocolate. Stir it all together until combined. Pour the mixture into pie shell, over the pecans. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes more, or until pie has set. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

So there you have it. A pie recipe that's both palette pleasing and super simple to boot. Don't you think this would make a sublime and untraditional Easter dessert? I know I'm considering it, but have other concoctions in mind (stay tuned next week)...

Now, I should mention that Maggie did find one fault with this recipe: that the pie, while deliciously gooey, tended to get a little runny as she cut into it. See what I mean in the photo above? And well...I'm stumped. Is this just a hazard of making pecan pie? Is there a way to avoid the overly runny nature of said fabulous gooeyness? Any takers?

UPDATE: This fabulous pecan pie was recently featured on Serious Eats Photograzing...see it here!

Beer Braised Corned Beef & Cabbage

Though St. Patrick's Day has come and gone, and we know that I got down 'n dirty with some Irish-themed goods, I'm still sharing my recipe for Beer Braised Corned Beef & Cabbage. Shaun and I (and this dish is mostly Shaun's doing) didn't get to making our corned beef until a week or so post-St. P's. While a little late, I'm getting it in just in the nik of time before the end of March. After all, while food shopping on Sunday, I noticed an abundance of corned beef packages in the meat case so it's not too late to get your corned beef fix.

Anyhow, this recipe seriously turns up the flavor on an old classic. I am typically not a huge fan of corned beef...I mean, I'll eat it, but I don't necessarily jump at the chance. Shaun, on the other hand, could not disagree more. So the compromise? Corned beef with a few adjustments, making this a meal that both traditionalists and new-age corned beef afficianados could enjoy. Just the simple changes of using the slow cooker and braising the meat in amber ale made a world of difference on this Irish favorite. And though Shaun said, "It's not real corned beef...you just don't cook corned beef in beer," once this hunk o'meat came out of the slow cooker and we dug right in...well, I think I may have changed his mind...just a bit. Let's get down to it...

Beer Braised Corned Beef & Cabbage
1 3lb. piece corned beef
1 lb. carrots (cut up, or use the baby kind)
2 bottles Budweiser Amber Ale
8 red bliss potatoes (or more, depending on how tatery you like it)
1 head cabbage, outside leaves peeled and the rest sliced
Dried onion flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Dijon or deli mustard

Open corned beef package and drain excess liquid into sink. Place corned beef in slow cooker with fat side up. Rub meat with some freshly ground black pepper and dried onions (optional). Note: Corned beef is naturally salty, so Shaun didn't add any extra salt. You can however, add the spice packet that may or may not come with the meat (ours didn't come with one). Pour 2 bottles Budweiser Amber Ale over the meat. Cook on low for 5-7 hours (the beauty of a slow cooker is that you can't really overcook the meat). Half or quarter red bliss potatoes and submerge in the liquid along with carrots. Cook for 45 minutes. 10 minutes before serving, add cabbage and cook 10 minutes more. Serve altogether on a big platter with Dijon or deli mustard for dipping and get ready for your predisposed thoughts on corned beef to go right out the window.

So there you have it...a traditional Irish dish with the flavor turned way up. What do you think? Are you a corned beef purist? Do you eat corned beef outside of the obligatory March festivities?

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

As I mentioned yesterday, this past Saturday was Mom's birthday dinner at the humble Humiston abode in Jersey City. In addition to light hors d'oeuvres including caprese salad and smoked salmon, we feasted on a tender beef brisket. I must be honest. I have never made beef brisket. I had no idea how to cook it or even where to buy it. But I did some research and hoped for the best, figuring the worst case would be turning to the local Chinese take out place for a guaranteed dinner. (I should also note here that I don't typically recommend trying out a new dish for company, but I just had a particularly good feeling about this one...it really seemed fairly fool-proof) And when I found out that I could make the entire thing in my slow cooker, freeing up my oven for side dishes like sweet potatoes and roasted parmesean asparagus, it was pretty much a no brainer. With my go-to gal, the Barefoot Contessa herself, and her almost frighteningly easy brisket recipe, I picked up the ingredients for what would become a truly delightful main course. Note: this recipe is based on a 5 lb brisket. If you use a smaller cut of meat, adjust the ingredients accordingly, ok? Let's get down to it...

Brisket with Carrots & Onions
*Adapted from Ina Garten
5 pounds beef brisket
2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
5 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
3 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 46 oz bottle low sodium V8
1 14 oz can low sodium beef broth
olive oil

In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add meat to pan-sear for 2 minutes on each side. This will make a flavorful brown crust on the meat. (Note: my hunk o'beef did not fit in my skillet, so I had to improvise...and by improvise I mean brown half of it while the other half hung over the side...it doesn't have to be perfect, just get 'er done). Once seared, add to slow cooker (trim to fit). In a small bowl, mix garlic, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Spread onto the brisket. Pile the bay leaves and vegetables on top of the brisket. Add V8 to cover 2/3 of the way up the meat and vegetables (I only used about half the bottle, but kept the rest on hand in the event of a veggie juice emergency...). Pour about 1/2 can of beef broth over the top, but don't cover the entire dish. Place the top on the slow cooker and cook on low for at least 8 hours. I cooked mine for 8 hours and it was fork tender, literally falling apart. I then just kept it warm until about 30 minutes before I served the meat. At that point, remove from slow cooker, place on cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. This allows the meat to rest and keeps all of the delectable juices in tact. Meanwhile, pour the liquid into a saute pan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the gravy is thickened. After 20-30 minutes, cut the meat across the grain and serve on a platter with the vegetables. Add gravy to taste.

And the result? A delicious recipe that easy as proverbial pie. Really, the perfect dish for company since there didn't require any standing over the stove and there was pretty much no possible way to overcook the meat. I mean, really, could it be easier? Oh, and in terms of the meat, Shaun went to our local Morton-Williams and asked the butcher to cut a 5 lb hock for us. Bellisimo. And the icing on the proverbial cake? This recipe is even better when stored in gravy and reheated the next day. We only discovered this after realizing that a 5lb cut of brisket is just overboard for a group of 5. But no complaints from me on the reheated version.

So what do you think? Have you ever attempted a new recipe to serve to company? How did it turn out?