Flo's Beef Barley Soup

Mom's Barley Soup

Many  have said that my Mom, Florene- yes that's right, not Florence,  made the best barley soup they ever tasted.  I could not disagree.  It's different than any you'll find on traditional websites and books in that it doesn't call for mushrooms, kale or anything similar.  In addition, it calls for tomato sauce and packaged, dried vegetables that many would frown upon,  Trust me, you need to add both and this is one of the best soups you've ever tasted.  Mom used to cook it in a pressure pot, under pressure for 40 minutes but ironically, I prefer the big Le Creuset pot. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon good olive oil
• 2 big marrow bones or what is now called- "beef oxtails"
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium chopped onions
• 5 carrots sliced in 3/8' or so rounds
• 5 stalks celery sliced in 1/4" pieces
• 1 Small can Tomato Sauce
• 2 pounds of Chuck Steak trimmed and cut in small bite sized pieces
• 1 Package Knorr Spring Vegetables
• 1 cup pearled barley

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot like a Le Creuset. Add the oxtails/marrow bones along with a generous amount of  salt and pepper.

Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until browned all over. Remove the oxtails with tongs and set aside in a big bowl.

Add the onions, carrots and celery, to the oil in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Add the trimmed chuck steak, cook over
medium high heat for 5 minutes or so; make sure no red left in the meat.  Return the oxtails to the pot, add 1 teaspoon each of  of salt  and pepper.  Add one small can of tomato sauce
Add enough water to about 1 1/2" below top of pot  Add one package of the Knorr Spring Vegetables  Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or longer if you have time.  Longer is never bad.



Taste soup, adjust seasonings, add barley, cover and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes.  When soup is done, remove the marrow bones and serve  on a plate with a good crusty bread.  Dig your knife down into the bone, spread the absolutely scrumptious and somewhat decadent marrow generously and enjoy!

Buon Apetito!
Murph

Wacky Chocolate Cake

Wacky Chocolate Cake with Butter-cream Icing

The Original Recipe in Cherie's Writing on an Index Card

This is the best chocolate cake recipe on the planet, period end of story. 

Cherie's grandma is credited with introducing this recipe into the family many decades ago and it is the first recipe Cherie made. The recipe doubles easily and makes one cake or 12 cupcakes. 

If you've never had the luxury of enjoying a Wacky Chocolate Cake, do not pass go and do not stop until you locate these easy to find ingredients and make one. This is the definitive cake for entertaining because it's easy to make and almost foolproof.

I've decided to include pictures of both the cake and the cupcakes just to show how simple and remarkably delicious this recipe truly is.

The cupcakes were made by Tara and Cherie for a school party and we appropriately decorated.  

A Wacky Cupcake 

The cake was for a birthday celebration for our friends Hank and Joe who have birthdays close together.  

Two Pigs in a Pod above the Wacky Cake

Have fun making this with your family and get creative with icing colors and other decorations.  We've run the gamut from black and orange for Halloween to a pale blue ocean color with the Little Mermaid swimming on top.  As Emeril would say " it's a food of  love" and that's certainly true for this recipe.

Wacky Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Flour

3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

6 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

1 Cup Sugar

1 tspn Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Cup Water

Preheat oven to 350

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until blended.  

Mix all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and blend well

Pour all wet ingredients on top of dry ingredients and blend well with a spoon or your favorite spatula

Pour all ingredients into a non-greased baking dish or pan.  9 x13 will work but we prefer a bit deeper pan that's actually 9 1/2" x 9 1/2" which makes a taller moister cake.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Just to be sure, insert a wooden toothpick into the center of the cake and if it comes out clean your cake is done, if it seems to be too moist, bake for an additional 5 minutes.  

As I always point out; baking is altitude dependent and we live at 2500 feet above sea level.  Your actual cooking time will vary according to your altitude.

Remove cake from oven when done and allow to cool completely- about an hour or so.

When your cake is cooled you can move on to the icing...

Butter Cream Icing: 

Note from Cherie:  "I truly just throw this icing together...it's blending of all the ingredients and the key is mixing with an electric beater until it looks  right and has a smooth consistency."

Ingredients for Icing

2 cups (roughly) powdered sugar
1/4 cup of softened butter - not margarine!
1/2 tsp. vanilla
a1/4 cup of half and half or milk
Food Coloring if desired

Add  sugar, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl and add the milk a little at a time while mixing until the consistency is just right.  It usually ends up being around 1/4 of a cup, but it at times more.  Humidity can play a role.  If it's too thick, add a little more milk, too thin - add more powdered sugar.
After the icing is just the thickness that you like, add food coloring.  The icing should be very creamy white, which is nice, but adding color is fun!  We love the Wilton Brand of  Food Colors because they are so vibrant.

The Birthday Boys- Hank and Joe


Happy Wacky Eating!!!

Linguini with Clam Sauce

If you've been reading this blog for awhile you know that I regard recipes as guidelines, not formal steps that must be followed.  I experiment a lot and so should you and neither of us should be afraid to fail on occasion.  My worst ever was when I tried to make an omelette from left-over spaghetti and marinara sauce.  It was a disaster and turned into over easy eggs and toast as the back up plan.  To that end, this is my  personalized version of linguini with clam sauce.   Specifically I like to add lemon zest,  roughly chopped tomatoes and a bit of crushed red pepper and white wine in lieu of clam juice.  Are they mandatory?  Of course not., so feel free to fine tune to your personal preference and email me if you make a discovery that must be shared.

Trust your instincts, buy local whenever possible and have a deep spice collection to help fill in the gaps while creating fun variations on your original theme.

Today I went to the local Oriental market and picked up clams for around $5 per pound.


I find "out of the way' markets can be fantastic and use Yelp and Google Places to find local info.

Tips and Comments

All Ingredients Staged and Ready to Go!

*Staging all your ingredients is a must for this fast moving dish


*Thinly slicing garlic and shallots prevents them from becoming bitter

*Buy a garlic peeler (it's a little silicone tube) if you don't already own one; they are fantastic.




* Add a good handful of salt to your pasta water, Americans tend to add far too little.


* A big stainless saute pan is a must for this dish and many others.  


Ingredients
1/3 cup extra­virgin olive oil
1 shallot thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
One Lemon, juiced and zested
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes ( more you like it spicy)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 lb linguine
2 lbs. small clams 
2 TBSP butter, cut into small pieces
2 Ripe Tomatoes, rough chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat­leaf parsley


Directions

Begin by bringing a large pasta pot to a boil and remember to add a good handful of salt

Heat oil in a a large saute pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking

Sauté shallots and garlic stirring frequently for about 3-4 minutes. 


Add red pepper flakes and  cook, and additional 2 minutes. 


Add Pasta to the boiling water and allow to cook for 4-6 minutes


Drain pasta and save about 2 cups of the starchy for your clam sauce.  It's ok to hold the pasta in your colander for a bit until you add it back to the saute pan with the clams and sauce.


To your saute pan, stir in wine and clams and  about 1/2 cup of your pasta water, you can always add more pasta water later but this is one of the big keys to a great sauce.

Just getting started

Add  lemon juice, zest and tomatoes and half the chopped parsley, stir and cover.

A glass lid comes in  handy

Stir occasionally with a big wooden spoon ensuring all clams open



When the last clam opens, add the linguine, chopped parsley and a bit more or the reserved pasta water if desired.














Finally, remove from heat and add your the two pats of butter, remaining parsley tossing gently until the sauce, butter and pasta are glimmering.

Starting to look really good 

I serve freshly grated Parmesan  and a bowl of red pepper flakes on the side.

BUON APPETITO!