sörenberg bahnen

  This fudge-y treat is rich, delicious, quick to make and fun to serve, AND....when you pour it over something COLD, it turns hard, just like commercial "Magic Shell" ice cream topping (except it is a lot more budget friendly). I've only ever made chocolate (duh!!) but I don't see why peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips or even mint chocolate chips wouldn't work just as well!! 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup canola oil 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Heat the chocolate, butter and oil until the chocolate melts. I do this in the microwave, starting at 30 seconds on high, then stir, then 15 more seconds and stir and a final 15 seconds and stir. At first, it will seem like the ingredients don't want to blend, but whisk it for 10-15 seconds and it will go together beautifully. Once it is smooth, whisk in the vanilla extract. Cool to room temperature, (you can use it right away, but if you use it before it cools down, it will take a f...

One of the sadder side effects of the American culinary renaissance we’ve enjoyed over the last thirty or forty years, has been the chronic under-cooking of green vegetables. Sure, there was a time when we cooked everything too long, but now, if it’s not bright green and still crispy, it’s considered ruined. That’s why every once and a while you have to enjoy something like these slow-cooked, southern-style green beans. These beans are cooked forever in a bacon-spiked, aromatic broth, and when they’re finally done, you’re almost shocked at how good they are. It seems so wrong, yet tastes so right. I think two hours is perfect, but if your beans are fatter/thinner, you’ll have to adjust the time. What you’re looking for is something that literally melts in your mouth. Vibrant, quickly blanched green beans are many things, but “melt in your mouth” isn’t one of them. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy! Ingredients for 6 portions: 2 pounds green beans, trimmed 1 handful sliced bacon...

This take on the Standard Grill’s famous “Million Dollar Chicken,” showed me once again that so many of life’s great culinary pleasures happen when you least expect them. I saw this recipe featured on TV recently, and chose to try it for two main reasons: one, it’s slathered in crème fraiche; and two, it’s roasted over caramelized, chicken drippings-soaked bread. I know, we had you at “slathered in crème fraiche,” but it was the bread that I was really looking forward to when I pulled this out of the oven, which is why I was so bummed when I thought I'd ruined it. Since I got greedy and used an extra slice of bread, and also used a larger roasting pan, the bread cooked to what would generously be referred to as “golden-black.” Several times during the glazing at the end, I contemplated tossing them out and simply making a joke about it during the narration, but I’m SO glad I didn’t. I can’t explain why, but not only didn’t it taste like burnt toast, it truly tasted fantastic. For...

Hubby has been hassling me about how I never let him go back to places he likes because I am always making him try new places, so we agreed it was about time to go back to Bluebeard.  Our last meal (lunch) was really good, and just about every meal I have had there has been an improvement on the last one. It was Saturday and we went early, but it was already really busy.  We got seated right away, but in the front room which doesn’t have the atmosphere of the bar room or the patio.  But you can’t really complain when it is the only table available. I appreciated that the restaurant was one of the few that wasn’t completely freezing inside (I had brought a jacket with me and didn’t have to put it on. Why is it only the times I don’t bring a jacket that I find myself dining in the deep freeze?)  Our waiter was friendly, although it was tough to hear him in that front room—it is quite a bit louder. We started off with one of their salads--mainly because we were so impr...

It only happens once every couple years or so, but sometimes I’ll think of the name of a recipe before I actually have the recipe. This summery, hot wheels pasta is one such dish. Not sure how “hot wheels” popped into my brain, but pop it did, and the next thing I knew I was at the market buying a box of rotelle. So the “wheels” part was easy, but what about the “hot?” Just as easy, thanks to an assortment of hot and sweet pepper rings. I used about two-thirds hot peppers to one-third sweet, but you’ll obviously adjust to your personal tolerance. The zucchini provided a nice balance, although this is the kind of pasta that will accept any and all other summer veggies. Besides what to add, you also have a lot of flexibility when it comes to the final taste and texture. I tend to like my peppers and squash just barely tender for this, but if you cook the sauce a few extra minutes before adding the pasta, you will get a softer, sweeter sauce. My version was a little more bracing, with so...

One of the things I get asked a lot is for good recommendations for brunch.  It’s a hard question for me to answer because most of our options aren’t really places that have a special brunch, they are just places that serve good breakfast and lunches all the time (and most of which don’t take reservations, so they can be a pain to go to). I have found a few places, but not too many that I really like so I was excited when I was perusing the 10 01 menu lately and saw that they are now offering a Sunday brunch. I have heard pretty good things since they have gotten their new chef, Dan Dunville. I still haven’t had an opportunity to try the other meals yet since he has been onboard, but saw several things (particularly some of the specials) that looked appealing for another visit. I ordered the breakfast flatbread ($9). It was a very thin, crispy crust topped with sausage gravy, bacon, scrambled eggs, and a blend of 3 cheeses.  Overall it had a good flavor (needed a little salt)....

Did you know that July was National Blueberry Month? Unless you happen to work for the blueberry industry, or food blog for a living, you probably didn’t. So, what happens with blueberries this month, that doesn’t happen in June or August? Not much, as far as I can tell, but it does give people like me an excuse to re-post a video like this “Too Many” Blueberry Muffins recipe. If you’d like to read the full post, and get the ingredients, just follow this link . Enjoy!

No, it actually takes 45 seconds! Turns out I was wrong about mug cakes. I’ve had the belief over the past few decades, that a decent mini chocolate cake from a microwave was impossible. I based this on the fact that every example I’d come across had the texture of a hockey puck. I assumed the cause was the microwave’s ultra-violent thermodynamics, and that there was nothing anyone could do about it, but then I got to thinking. Maybe there was a way to tweak the existing recipes out there to minimize this problem. Long story short, I tweaked an existing recipe, which minimized the problem. The secrets were using smaller amounts of batter, and cooking for way less time than has been suggested by others. Once you’ve boiled off all the water in the batter, you are totally screwed, so the idea here is to just barely get to the point of doneness, and stop. For me that was exactly 45 seconds. I’ve included the power data here, so you can compare it to your microwave. Apparently, I have a 1...

My daughter had been away at camp and even though my son was busy with his activities as well, we always take advantage of some Mommy/son time while she’s away.  I was trying to think of a lunch place he would like that he hadn’t been to and thanks to twitter, Good Morning Mama’s came up.  We never go on the weekends because it is oppressively busy (good for them) but midweek, we got in no problem (although it was still pretty busy). I ordered their Panini grilled cheese ($5.99) which had two kind of cheese (cheddar and Swiss, tomato, and I added bacon for $1.00. I am a sucker for a Panini grilled sandwich—I think just because it makes it thinner and easier to eat.  Also it tends to melt everything pretty well, although when I got my sandwich, it didn’t seem like the cheese was all the way melted. But when I started eating it, it was much better and was meltier than it looked. For my side, on the server’s recommendation, I had the potato salad as my side and it was pretty...

I saw some almost completely black barbecue chicken recently, which is such a shame, since it's so easily avoided. This happens when people brush on their usually sweet bbq sauce too early, which quickly burns as soon as it's turned towards the hot coals.  Some believe the solution is only brushing on the sauce during the last few minutes, but that doesn't allow enough time for the flavors to penetrate and pick up the desired smokiness. There has to be a better way!! There is, keep reading. The video below shows my preferred method for having your barbecue chicken and being able to eat it too. If there's a time of the year to tighten up your chicken barbecuing game, it's right now. To read the full post, and get the ingredients, click here . Enjoy!

Finding high-quality hamburger meat at the market is a lot easier than it used to be, but the same cannot be said for the buns. They’re never the right dimensions for a decent sized patty; and they’re either made from some insipid white sponge with seventy-three ingredients, or from high-fiber, whole grains, which in many ways is even worse. A proper bun should be nothing more than a light, buttery, airy delivery system for getting a hot, juicy hamburger into your mouth. Oats, spelt, and flax seeds have no business getting anywhere near this type of operation. That's what turkey sandwiches are for. Above and beyond taste and texture, the bun needs to be the right diameter to fit a classic half-pound burger, and should be twice as thick as the patty. I guess you could drive all over town looking for these magic buns, but it would be a lot easier just to make them yourself. They do take few hours, but most of that is rise time, and when you see and taste the results, I’m sure you’ll...

Over the Fourth of July, on our visit to Columbus, Ohio, we went out with some of hubby’s high school friends to somewhere new to us.  We had been debating where to go, but after I looked at the menu, I thought this would be a good option because they had a fairly wide menu and they had grilled artichokes on the menu and I have been craving them. We started with a couple of orders of the cheddar cheese skillet biscuits ($8) and the artichokes ($12).  Both were so, so good.  The biscuits were so rich and buttery and full of cheese, and scallions and brushed with butter (garlic butter maybe).  They were exceptionally moist. Possibly the best biscuits I have ever had. I had to restrain myself from over eating these things.  Everyone just wolfed them down.  Even though we had really over-ordered too many, every single crumb got eaten. The artichokes hit the spot for me too. They were good tender, but then grilled and had nice, slightly crisp edges from the gril...

You may remember this peach coleslaw from such video recipes as, Grilled Coffee and Cola Skirt Steak . It was a beautiful match, and as I ate, I couldn’t help but wonder why you don’t see peaches used in these cold cabbage salads more often. People have no problem loading up their ‘slaws with grated apple and diced pineapple, so it can’t be an anti-fruit bias. I think the real reason is that a perfectly ripe peach is such an incredible experience, that it seems almost criminal to consume it any other way. I think George du Maurier put it best when he said, “An apple is an excellent thing – until you have tried a peach.” So, is that it? Just too good to not eat as is? That could explain some of it, but just in case the real reason is that you simply hadn’t thought of it before, I’m posting this. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy! Ingredients for 6-8 portions: 1 pound thinly sliced cabbage 2 diced peaches 1 tbsp thinly sliced chives for the dressing (everything is “to taste”): 2 gene...

We love the world of mini desserts these days; with an "empty nest", mini desserts are an easy better way to battle the mega-calories that a big ole' cheesecake in the fridge tempts us with. Picky-picky husband LOVES all things maple, so I've been on a search for a maple cheesecake for a long time. This recipe is a combination of several other recipes combined with my own personal tweaks. WE are very pleased with the results; they  are sweet, smooth to the tongue, maple-y and super easy to make. CRUMB CRUST 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons melted butter Mix until well combined; I do this in a plastic food bag (saves on clean up).  Preheat your oven to 275° and put paper cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Put a slightly rounded tablespoon of crumb mixture into each paper liner and press down. CHEESECAKE FILLING 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature) 1/3 cup REAL maple syrup (I've never tried pancake syrup) 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teas...

I’ve made hundreds of different marinades over the years, but for some reason, cola had not appeared in any of them. One reason is that I never drink soda, so it’s simply not around, but above and beyond that, it always sounded more like a gimmick to me, invented by some marketing guru at Coke. Boy, was I wrong. This coffee and cola marinated skirt steak was the most delicious thing I’ve grilled all year. The cola provides a unique sweetness, which is balanced beautifully by the bitterness from the coffee and dark grill marks. The marinade (probably technically a brine) made the already uber-juicy skirt steak even more so, as well as absolutely fork tender.   There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this recipe. Speaking of fork tender, this is dependent on two key things – that you slice the meat against the grain, and you don’t cook it too rare. As you’ll see in the video, it will be very obvious which direction you need to slice, so that shouldn’t be an issue. As far as donene...

I met my friend Suzanne the other day at Eggshell Bistro for my second visit. I enjoyed it my first time and was excited to go back—the menu was quite small when I first went, and some friends had told me it had gotten a bit bigger since then.  This is a menu that has my name written all over it because it is full of eggs, and more specifically sous vide poached eggs (there are other types as well though). I love them so. I had a tough time narrowing my choices down and could happily eat my way through the whole menu. This time I had the pancetta crostini (I didn’t note the price but everything was between about $9-12).  I really enjoyed it. It was a long piece of thin and crispy (but not burnt, like crostini often is) toasted baguette and was topped with one of those beautiful poached eggs, La Quercia pancetta, roasted asparagus and red onion marmalade. That pancetta? Amazing. It was crisp, but practically melted in your mouth. I had to ask where you could buy it locally (W...