There are two types of people in this world. Those that love carrot cake and those who loath it.
If you are one of those that love it. You will flip over this version. This one didn't even get to the frosting part. Its texture is really carroty and it has the moisture that we all like consistently formed from top to bottom of the cake. Sue said what about you making some of those brownies from the mix? She got this instead.
It really needs a food processor to emulsify the sugars. I found it interesting how the oil got into it. I used the tiny hole in the center of the food processor to drip in the oil. It made a superior carrot cake. You were going to use a food processor to chop up those carrots anyway. So its a wipe the processor clean kind of recipe and replace the grater with the metal chopping blade. What a deal! The parchment on the bottom really helps in pulling off the cake from the bottom of the pan. Its very easy this way. Try it, I am sure you will like it. Hats off the cooks ill for their recipe!
With a few carrots (about 8) in the fridge, this is almost a pantry kind of cake!
Carrot Cake
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 pound medium carrots (6 to 7 carrots), peeled
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil , safflower oil, or canola oil
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese , softened but still cool
5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened, but still cool
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (4 1/2 ounces)
Instructions
1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment and spray parchment.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside.
3. In food processor fitted with large shredding disk (see below for mixer method), shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. Wipe out food processor work bowl and fit with metal blade. Process granulated and brown sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds. With machine running, add oil through feed tube in steady stream. Process until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer. Scrape mixture into medium bowl. Stir in carrots and dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool cake to room temperature in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours.
4. For the frosting (See below for mixer method): When cake is cool, process cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in clean food processor workbowl until combined, about 5 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners' sugar and process until smooth, about 10 seconds.
5. Run paring knife around edge of cake to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto wire rack, peel off parchment, then invert again onto serving platter. Using icing spatula, spread frosting evenly over surface of cake. Cut into squares and serve. (Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)
In our case the cake never made it to the wire rack.. maybe yours won't either.
: ) Pat
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Finishing the Watercolor
What a blast.
I just finished a watercolor of approaching Juneau, Alaska. Juneau is an island city that must be reached by either air or boat. It has big mountains that steeply climb right out of the city. So the capital of Alaska has a considerable mountain habitat around it. Around the corner and up the draw a little is a viable glacier. The Mendenhall glacier drops its huge chunks of ice into the river about 14 miles for the city.
This painting was fun to do. Its my second foray into using this medium. This canvas is set up to be really forgiving. With just a little water and a bit of a scub the artist can get right down to the white canvas the started the painting. Watercolor canvas performs just like watercolor paper in that it will accept delicate washes and lifts. It does not tear or flake. It has an occasional pill like all canvas does.
My sister suggested that I set up a camera on a tripod and take the steps of this painting in action. There are 10 steps there were photographed and are now on flickr. You can take a look at them from the link on the side of this blog. I have left some commentary as to what happened at each step and what I was projecting that I needed to do in the next step. Most steps had one day between them. The steps took about an hour each. I would stop when I got tired of painting or when the paint needed to dry for the next step.
It was really fun for me.
: ) Pat
I just finished a watercolor of approaching Juneau, Alaska. Juneau is an island city that must be reached by either air or boat. It has big mountains that steeply climb right out of the city. So the capital of Alaska has a considerable mountain habitat around it. Around the corner and up the draw a little is a viable glacier. The Mendenhall glacier drops its huge chunks of ice into the river about 14 miles for the city.
This painting was fun to do. Its my second foray into using this medium. This canvas is set up to be really forgiving. With just a little water and a bit of a scub the artist can get right down to the white canvas the started the painting. Watercolor canvas performs just like watercolor paper in that it will accept delicate washes and lifts. It does not tear or flake. It has an occasional pill like all canvas does.
My sister suggested that I set up a camera on a tripod and take the steps of this painting in action. There are 10 steps there were photographed and are now on flickr. You can take a look at them from the link on the side of this blog. I have left some commentary as to what happened at each step and what I was projecting that I needed to do in the next step. Most steps had one day between them. The steps took about an hour each. I would stop when I got tired of painting or when the paint needed to dry for the next step.
It was really fun for me.
: ) Pat
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Green Chicken Chili Recipe
Here is the recipe that some of my loyal friends wanted after reading my facebook entry. It really isn't as hard as it looks. I dropped out 2 of the jalapenos for Sue and cilantro is a no no to for her... but with a dollop of sour cream ( I happened to have some authentic medican crema) it was really good. I used my new Kirkland enameled dutch oven for this. Le Creuset version. They are pretty hard to find, but when available at your nearest Costco they are super at $49. The cannellini beans looked pretty disappointing in the can but in this recipe and as a thickener with the food processor they were hard to beat. At one point with the food processed veggies I thought that I might have some split pea soup. One sniff and it surely wasn't your father's split pea! Ha! The scallions (fresh green onions) really added to this soup, so don't skimp on these! It might reduce your stress if you prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time.. like you do a Chinese stir fry. This makes enough for 5 pretty hungry eaters.
Have fun!
Green Chicken Chili
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (2 whole breasts, split)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 poblano chiles , stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
3 Anaheim chile peppers (medium), stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
2 medium jalapeño chiles , one medium and one small, seeds and ribs removed and set aside (see note), flesh minced
2 medium onions , minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons ground oregano
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
4 scallions , sliced thin
Instructions
1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear on the second side until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the skin.
2. Add all of the chiles except the small jalapeño, the onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer half of the chile mixture to a clean plate; set aside.
3. Stir in the broth, chicken, and beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked, abut 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate. Continue to simmer the chili, uncovered, until it has thickened, 35 to 40 minutes.
4. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones. Stir the shredded chicken, reserved chile mixture, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and small jalapeño into the chili. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is too thick, stir in additional water to thin it out. (The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING: Cal 320; Fat 4.5 g; Sat fat .5 g; Chol 80 mg; Carb 28g; Protein 39 g; Fiber 9 g; Sodium 1240 mg
Have fun!
Green Chicken Chili
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (2 whole breasts, split)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 poblano chiles , stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
3 Anaheim chile peppers (medium), stemmed, seeded, and chopped medium
2 medium jalapeño chiles , one medium and one small, seeds and ribs removed and set aside (see note), flesh minced
2 medium onions , minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons ground oregano
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
4 scallions , sliced thin
Instructions
1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear on the second side until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the skin.
2. Add all of the chiles except the small jalapeño, the onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer half of the chile mixture to a clean plate; set aside.
3. Stir in the broth, chicken, and beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked, abut 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate. Continue to simmer the chili, uncovered, until it has thickened, 35 to 40 minutes.
4. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding the bones. Stir the shredded chicken, reserved chile mixture, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and small jalapeño into the chili. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is too thick, stir in additional water to thin it out. (The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.)
PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING: Cal 320; Fat 4.5 g; Sat fat .5 g; Chol 80 mg; Carb 28g; Protein 39 g; Fiber 9 g; Sodium 1240 mg
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Kings Speech
Last weekend our family met in Dublin to see a very remarkable film, The Kings Speech.
It really illustrates the nature and results of speech therapy. The would be king and later the king that had a terrible speech issue of dysfluency or as he put it "stammering". This movie outlines several techniques that were totally off the wall at the time.
It is now very much a part of what we do to help people with this issue. The king actually gets considerably better at the end of the movie.
Lack of Air
One of the major problems that suffers of this malady feel is a general lack of air. They feel that they have run out of air to talk and therefore cannot do it. This leads to a panic feeling on their part and makes the issue worse.
My methodology was to give the people a sense of using diaphragmatic breathing (breathing from the lower torso area instead of the shoulder area).
Delayed Auditory Feedback
The first technique used in the film was to run another set of auditory stimuli in the ears while attempting to speak. This works well for some people as they use Auditory feedback devices (small hearing aid like appliances that attach to the ear and delay back to the ear) what the person has said. These are rather expensive, but some people they represent the only way that they can distract themselves from focusing on the delays. The king found out that he could talk relatively fluently when the orchestra sounds were in his ears. This is what really allowed him to commit the therapist.
Stretching out the Vowels Sounds
I always worked with my clients to talk by elongating their vowels. This works on several levels. If you are elongating your vowels as you speak, you are not focusing on the trouble sounds that always seem to be in the consonants. It also slows the speech down so that adequate lung power is there.
Air In Front of Troubled Sounds
The third technique that was demonstrated by the king but not highlighted in the movie was the use of soft onset. A bit of air can be released just before a tricky sound and the tricky sound will glide into production.
An interesting part of the movie revolved around the reason for the stuttering to begin. The king said that he was traumatized when he was learning to speak by his nanny and her bumping him on her knee. Sue's research supports this hypothesis. I think that his brother had a lot to do with maintaining and making things worse for the king when it came to self correction.
Sue really enjoyed the king references and the historical aspects of deposed king and the Wallace Simpson stuff. Heather and Linzi enjoyed the acting of Colin Fith.
Overall its a remarkable film.
It opens (finally) in Merced on Friday. It will surely by a nominee for the Academy of Arts. Its a little too bad that it is so slow in its distribution. It came out in November in the big cities. Last week it was in cities that had movie theaters that had at least 16 screens.(Stockton, Dublin,Fresno) This week it finally hits the sticks.
If you get a chance to see it, its worth it. The audience in our showing was very female and older. This could also be that the NFL wild card games were being played at the same time as our showing. Long live the ability to time swipe with a recorder!
:) Pat
It really illustrates the nature and results of speech therapy. The would be king and later the king that had a terrible speech issue of dysfluency or as he put it "stammering". This movie outlines several techniques that were totally off the wall at the time.
It is now very much a part of what we do to help people with this issue. The king actually gets considerably better at the end of the movie.
Lack of Air
One of the major problems that suffers of this malady feel is a general lack of air. They feel that they have run out of air to talk and therefore cannot do it. This leads to a panic feeling on their part and makes the issue worse.
My methodology was to give the people a sense of using diaphragmatic breathing (breathing from the lower torso area instead of the shoulder area).
Delayed Auditory Feedback
The first technique used in the film was to run another set of auditory stimuli in the ears while attempting to speak. This works well for some people as they use Auditory feedback devices (small hearing aid like appliances that attach to the ear and delay back to the ear) what the person has said. These are rather expensive, but some people they represent the only way that they can distract themselves from focusing on the delays. The king found out that he could talk relatively fluently when the orchestra sounds were in his ears. This is what really allowed him to commit the therapist.
Stretching out the Vowels Sounds
I always worked with my clients to talk by elongating their vowels. This works on several levels. If you are elongating your vowels as you speak, you are not focusing on the trouble sounds that always seem to be in the consonants. It also slows the speech down so that adequate lung power is there.
Air In Front of Troubled Sounds
The third technique that was demonstrated by the king but not highlighted in the movie was the use of soft onset. A bit of air can be released just before a tricky sound and the tricky sound will glide into production.
An interesting part of the movie revolved around the reason for the stuttering to begin. The king said that he was traumatized when he was learning to speak by his nanny and her bumping him on her knee. Sue's research supports this hypothesis. I think that his brother had a lot to do with maintaining and making things worse for the king when it came to self correction.
Sue really enjoyed the king references and the historical aspects of deposed king and the Wallace Simpson stuff. Heather and Linzi enjoyed the acting of Colin Fith.
Overall its a remarkable film.
It opens (finally) in Merced on Friday. It will surely by a nominee for the Academy of Arts. Its a little too bad that it is so slow in its distribution. It came out in November in the big cities. Last week it was in cities that had movie theaters that had at least 16 screens.(Stockton, Dublin,Fresno) This week it finally hits the sticks.
If you get a chance to see it, its worth it. The audience in our showing was very female and older. This could also be that the NFL wild card games were being played at the same time as our showing. Long live the ability to time swipe with a recorder!
:) Pat
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Lemon Juice
I have a little Meyers lemon out in front. Its about 5 feet high and 7 feet in circumference. Its a great tree because I don't have to get on a ladder to harvest it and it produces just the right amount of lemon juice for our canning and cooking needs. Its also nice to have some fresh fruit in the winter right from my backyard.
Some people say that it makes lemons as sweet as oranges. (My neighbor) Some experts say that it is a cross between the two. One niece thinks its the greatest since it is the source of lemon pies and filo lemon shooters.
This year I was afraid that the really cold weather around Thanksgiving had wiped it out. Or at least the lemons that were on it. It effectively wiped out the fall growth of the lemon tree which although slows down in the winter continues to growth throughout the cold season.
While there were a few that took the hit and had a black spot or two that disintegrated the peel, most have survived. Through the Christmas season this tree sported its own ornaments. The little tree was coming through with big yellow lemons all over it.
Today I decided to pick a quantity of lemons and use my lemon squeezer to extract the juice out of them. Its a mechanical squeezer that you see on the street corners of Italy throughout the summer. It squeezes the half of the lemon into a cone shaped press with holes on it to catch the juice and leave the seeds. A glass measuring cup picks up the juice and facilitates the pouring of the juice into the ice cube trays. 2 cups of lemon juice fill up one ice cube tray.
Before any squeezing can be done, there needs to be a place secured in the freezer for the lemon juice ice cubes to form. They may be stacked on top of each other if you vary the form so they don't nest.
I picked a batch and headed indoors.
The total yield was 6 ice cube trays or 12 cups of juice. There are still lemons on the tree for lemon picatta or lemon pie.
Its great to have a useable lemon tree!
: ) Pat
Some people say that it makes lemons as sweet as oranges. (My neighbor) Some experts say that it is a cross between the two. One niece thinks its the greatest since it is the source of lemon pies and filo lemon shooters.
This year I was afraid that the really cold weather around Thanksgiving had wiped it out. Or at least the lemons that were on it. It effectively wiped out the fall growth of the lemon tree which although slows down in the winter continues to growth throughout the cold season.
While there were a few that took the hit and had a black spot or two that disintegrated the peel, most have survived. Through the Christmas season this tree sported its own ornaments. The little tree was coming through with big yellow lemons all over it.
Today I decided to pick a quantity of lemons and use my lemon squeezer to extract the juice out of them. Its a mechanical squeezer that you see on the street corners of Italy throughout the summer. It squeezes the half of the lemon into a cone shaped press with holes on it to catch the juice and leave the seeds. A glass measuring cup picks up the juice and facilitates the pouring of the juice into the ice cube trays. 2 cups of lemon juice fill up one ice cube tray.
Before any squeezing can be done, there needs to be a place secured in the freezer for the lemon juice ice cubes to form. They may be stacked on top of each other if you vary the form so they don't nest.
I picked a batch and headed indoors.
The total yield was 6 ice cube trays or 12 cups of juice. There are still lemons on the tree for lemon picatta or lemon pie.
Its great to have a useable lemon tree!
: ) Pat
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New Baby Artichokes
This week I bought some baby artichokes at Rayley's. They were Raley's brand. It had a new recipe on it for suggested use.
Baby artichokes are the small artichokes that the plant makes after it gives up its prime and secondary blossoms and fruit. They are about 2 and a half inches long. The usual way most of us cook artichokes is to trim the points with some kitchen shears or a knife, re-cut the stems dump them in a round glass microwave bowl with some vinegar or lemon juice and microwave or boil steam them until the bases or heart is tender.
The new method, baby artichokes are more tender takes off in another direction. With lemon juice at the ready, peel back the leaves until only one third of the green is showing. Cut the stem area to smooth and dunk the newly cut stem area in the lemon juice. There should be little green rose looking artichokes bobbing in the lemon juice.
An onion and 3 garlic cloves are chopped in a half a cup of simmering olive olive (seems like a lot but it isn't) The baby artichokes are cut in half and added, first sauted and then allowed to cook on medium. Add later in the cooking phase a squirt of balsamic vinegar or some fresh lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
The entire dish may be made in a a sauce pan. If you taste the artichokes before they are done you will be pretty disappointed as they need to cook thoroughly to turn around the bitterness. This goes great with some freshly made rice.
I threw in some chicken and sauteed the entire works with a little chicken broth. Some sauteed mushrooms are also added at the last moment. I would have like a little red pepper action on this dish, but you cook to your audience.
Sue had to have seconds on this dish.. so you know that it must have passed muster.
Baby artichokes rock!
: ) Pat
Baby artichokes are the small artichokes that the plant makes after it gives up its prime and secondary blossoms and fruit. They are about 2 and a half inches long. The usual way most of us cook artichokes is to trim the points with some kitchen shears or a knife, re-cut the stems dump them in a round glass microwave bowl with some vinegar or lemon juice and microwave or boil steam them until the bases or heart is tender.
The new method, baby artichokes are more tender takes off in another direction. With lemon juice at the ready, peel back the leaves until only one third of the green is showing. Cut the stem area to smooth and dunk the newly cut stem area in the lemon juice. There should be little green rose looking artichokes bobbing in the lemon juice.
An onion and 3 garlic cloves are chopped in a half a cup of simmering olive olive (seems like a lot but it isn't) The baby artichokes are cut in half and added, first sauted and then allowed to cook on medium. Add later in the cooking phase a squirt of balsamic vinegar or some fresh lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste.
The entire dish may be made in a a sauce pan. If you taste the artichokes before they are done you will be pretty disappointed as they need to cook thoroughly to turn around the bitterness. This goes great with some freshly made rice.
I threw in some chicken and sauteed the entire works with a little chicken broth. Some sauteed mushrooms are also added at the last moment. I would have like a little red pepper action on this dish, but you cook to your audience.
Sue had to have seconds on this dish.. so you know that it must have passed muster.
Baby artichokes rock!
: ) Pat
Monday, January 3, 2011
Its Over But its not
Two weeks ago both pro football teams were eliminated out of the playoffs.
For the 49ers who have a team that should be in the playoffs it was a season of too many playoff bound opponents too early in the season. They had get their by beating early in the season the teams that eventually made the playoffs.The 49ers played and lost to almost all of the contenders in the playoff season early on. In each game there was a chance to win and in many games there the score was close to the end. The personnel for a winning 49er team was there. There were no major gaps on defense and the offense was a cracker jack. With a first round pick quarterback and another first round pick and Heisman trophy winner as a back up there didn't seem to be a reason that they should be second tier in teams. They were.
The reason for a poor early season was poor line management for the offense. The defensive lines in the NFL have become so big, tall, and fast that the only way that a quarterback can operate is with lanes that are provided by stunts and movement by the offensive line. These gaps provided by the offense are what allow the team to move down the field in 6 to 12 yard chunks. Next year these lanes will be there as this year's rookie line has a real chance of learning their jobs and what to do.
The Oakland Raiders looked very good early on this year. They were the team that should have made it into the playoffs. Their needs are in the defense. When a team could break through to the secondary, there was no raider their to meet them. Too much emphasis was placed on blitz defense. It seemed that every team was running a blitz defense every other play. This quickly speeds of the offense and timing pattern as very critical to success. Slants and two move running routs completely took out the Oakland Raiders this year.
Both teams could be contenders next year. It will be fun to see what the draft will bring and whether the bay area teams can patch their weaknesses.
: ) Pat
For the 49ers who have a team that should be in the playoffs it was a season of too many playoff bound opponents too early in the season. They had get their by beating early in the season the teams that eventually made the playoffs.The 49ers played and lost to almost all of the contenders in the playoff season early on. In each game there was a chance to win and in many games there the score was close to the end. The personnel for a winning 49er team was there. There were no major gaps on defense and the offense was a cracker jack. With a first round pick quarterback and another first round pick and Heisman trophy winner as a back up there didn't seem to be a reason that they should be second tier in teams. They were.
The reason for a poor early season was poor line management for the offense. The defensive lines in the NFL have become so big, tall, and fast that the only way that a quarterback can operate is with lanes that are provided by stunts and movement by the offensive line. These gaps provided by the offense are what allow the team to move down the field in 6 to 12 yard chunks. Next year these lanes will be there as this year's rookie line has a real chance of learning their jobs and what to do.
The Oakland Raiders looked very good early on this year. They were the team that should have made it into the playoffs. Their needs are in the defense. When a team could break through to the secondary, there was no raider their to meet them. Too much emphasis was placed on blitz defense. It seemed that every team was running a blitz defense every other play. This quickly speeds of the offense and timing pattern as very critical to success. Slants and two move running routs completely took out the Oakland Raiders this year.
Both teams could be contenders next year. It will be fun to see what the draft will bring and whether the bay area teams can patch their weaknesses.
: ) Pat
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