Shhh - The Brownies Have a Secret

This may look like an ordinary luscious, rich, chocolate-y brownie bite. And, I have to say, it absolutely IS a luscious, rich, chocolate-y brownie bite! But it's anything but ordinary.

It's vegan.

Yup - no butter, no eggs, no milk, no nothin' that came from an animal.

A vegan brownie.

And it's really, really good ... :)


Vegan Brownie Bites

1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
pinch of kosher salt
3/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1 cup light vegetable oil
1/4 cup silken tofu
1 tablespoon flavoring (coffee, brandy, fresh orange juice, etc.)
dairy-free mini chocolate chips, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup mini muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

In a large measuring cup, whisk together soy milk, oil, tofu, and flavoring. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full of batter, and sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15 minutes until a tester comes out clean, then remove from oven; let rest 5 minutes to set, then remove to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

Makes about 3 dozen brownie bites.

Note: To make standard-sized brownie "muffins," bake for 20-25 minutes.

Frugal Floozie Friday - Glee Cake & Pastry

First of all, let me congratulate Dawn - of mummytotwoboys - who won the $25 Whole Foods Market gift card in my recent giveaway! Mazal tov!!!

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Now, on to today's post ... :)

Craig and I took a trip out to Chelsea last Saturday to putter around, to see the Christmas-y sites, and to revel in small-town friendliness, quaintness and charm. And a highlight of our afternoon, of course, was cupcakes. But not just any cupcakes - these were baked by Glee Havens, who won the 2012 Girl Scout Cookie Bake-Off Benefit that I was thrilled to help judge this past September.

And so, when you can relish decadent treats like these for less than $5 per person,
Glee Cake & Pastry is a natural fit for Frugal Floozie Friday!

There are so many treats to choose from: cupcakes, dessert bars, slices of tortes or cakes ... sigh. I wandered back and forth from one display case to another (there are three); and instead of narrowing down my list of options, each time I considered my choices my list grew longer.

Craig knew readily what he wanted: the Boston Cream cupcake pictured at right - "A light moist vanilla cake topped with a rich vanilla custard and dipped in chocolate ganache." Having gone to graduate school in Boston, it was a taste of his former home. And who doesn't love this lovely, decadent treat?

I debated among the Peanut Butter and Ganache cupcake, the coconut-topped Toasted Mounds variety, and the Death by Chocolate (no surprise to learn this is the shop's best seller). But I succumbed ultimately to the Salted Butterscotch cupcake pictured at the top of the post - salty, sweet, and sublime.

Cupcakes cost $3 each - well within our mandatory Frugal Floozie Friday budget of $5 or less per person; but if you buy two or more, they are only $2.75. Slices of elegant, sophisticated, luscious cakes and tortes cost $4.25; and cookies, brownies, or bars range from 75 cents to $3 each.

Even better, if you visit Glee on a Sunday you can enjoy Happy Hour prices: from 12-5 p.m., "all items in the case are 1/2 off!"

Whether you're looking to enjoy treats for a special occasion, or just want a little something sweet "just because," be sure to stop by Glee's shop for wonderful items.

Glee Cake & Pastry
117 S. Main Street
Chelsea, MI 48118
734-475-3000
Tuesday - Thursday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday: 12 - 5 p.m.



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Julia Child's Best Brownies

For Julia Child's 100th birthday on August 15, I celebrated by bringing a batch of brownies to work, having made them with one of Julia's recipes.

The method is a bit more involved than simply "dump 'n' stir," but none of the prep is difficult. And I am here to tell you that every single step is absolutely worth it. I've made some exceptional brownies before - my Hot Damn! Triple Orange Brownies, in particular. But I've gotta say that these may very well be my new all-time favorites.

One of my co-workers declared these "the best brownies ever"; another proclaimed them "divine." I can't argue with either assessment - these are unbelievably rich, decadent, seductive, so wrong and yet so, so right. Of course, with 2 cups of sugar, nearly half-a-pound of chocolate, and a full cup of butter, what do you expect??? They'll kill you, but you'll die blissfully and ecstatically happy!

After mixing everything together and pouring the batter into the pan, I set the timer for the recommended 23 minutes. When the bell rang, I inserted a knife into the center to test for done-ness. The recipe stated that "they'll be perfect if they're just barely set and still pretty gooey." Well, the brownie mass jiggled when I shook the pan a bit, and the center was like chocolate pudding - far beyond gooey, and still raw.

So I set the timer for another 5 minutes, only to find little progress.

I set the timer for another 15 minutes, in a fit of impatience and knowing that the brownies were still far from where they needed to be.  Only after that much more baking did I find the perfectly gooey center. So be sure to start with the minimum baking time, but don't worry if it takes longer.


There is no occasion where brownies would be unwelcome - be "Employee of the Month" by bringing them to work, make picnics and barbecues more festive, devour them at a "girls' night in" while watching a movie, serve them after a romantic dinner ... any time, any place, these are perfection. You know you'll want them for Saturday's season opener, The Cowboys Classic, when my #8 Michigan Wolverines take on the #2 Alabama Crimson Tide!

Makes these brownies. I'm serious! Do it now ... you'll thank me for being so insistent, I promise ... :)


Julia Child's Best Brownies
(very slightly adapted)

• 8 ounces butter, softened
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 ounces milk chocolate chips
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9"x9" baking pan with foil, letting some hang over the edges for easier lifting, and grease the foil.

Melt the butter and chocolates together in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup of the sugar, cook for 30 more seconds, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Place remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a medium mixing bowl; mix just to combine.

Little by little, pour half of the egg mixture into the chocolate; whisk after each addition to combine thoroughly.

Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining egg-sugar mixture on "high" for 3 minutes; the mixture will become much lighter in color and thicker. Fold this mixture into the chocolate.

Add flour and salt; fold into batter until completely incorporated. Pour batter into pan and bake for 23 minutes; check with a knife to see if center is mostly set and gooey. If too wet, continue cooking in 5 minute increments.

When brownies are done, remove from the oven and let cool completely. Remove from the pan using the foil, peel down the sides of the foil, and trim 1/4" from edges. Cut into 4 columns, then turn brownies and cut into 4 more columns.

Makes 16 brownies.

Note: You could add nuts to the brownies if you want to. But they're so dense and so fudgy that nuts could almost be disruptive - crunchiness that interrupts the bite, and which requires chewing rather than just letting the brownies dissolve on your tongue.

The "Beautiful Day" Brownies

I baked a batch of brownies that my BFF Wendy and I will bring with us today when we go to visit her daughter, Julia. We always buy a present for her, too, when we go to the Ann Arbor Art Fair each July, usually a sparkling blue gizmo of some sort; the color matches Julia's eyes, and what child (of any age!) wouldn't love a new toy or trinket? We'll bring that with us, along with the treats.

After work, Wendy and I will meet up and then spend the evening with Julia. We ask her questions, we tell her stories, we give her updates on how things have been. There is always some laughter, there are some serious moments, occasional tears ... the full range, as it should be among loved ones when they get together.

Wendy had told me she'd be "most honored" if I wrote about Julia, so let me tell you a bit about this very special girl.

Julia was born on December 27, 1997, a perfect 10-pound baby. Soon she started doing an unusual thing with her thumbs: she would fold them in, as though she were holding up four fingers, and if you tried to pry her thumb up it would snap right back into the preferred position. It seemed like a cute quirk.

Then Julia would cry seemingly endlessly, inconsolably. She was stiff, and she had difficulty eating. The pediatrician dismissed it as colic, as perhaps food intolerances, as something benign and insignificant, but Wendy knew better ... mothers always do. She searched and searched, until she found the answer to what might be happening to her child. She wanted an answer, even a frightening one; at least then she'd know what enemy she was fighting and could chart a plan of attack.

It turns out that Julia had Krabbe's [krah-BAYZ] Disease, a genetic disorder that destroys myelin - the protective covering of the nervous system - because of insufficient quantities of a simple enzyme. Krabbe's steals the ability to swallow, to see, to regulate internal temperature, to move; and it is excruciating. Julia's folding in of her thumbs was actually the very first notable, visible symptom.

That summer, Wendy took Julia down to Duke University for a cord blood transplant - the only known treatment for Krabbe's, and a terribly dangerous and risky one; it was still fairly experimental in 1998, and is most effective before a child develops symptoms. They spent months in isolation, away from Julia's father and Wendy's two older children, Alison and Cam, who all stayed here in Michigan. There was chemotherapy. There was a seemingly anticlimactic i.v. hooked up to provide potentially life-saving stem cells, which dripped into Julia's blood stream with such anticipation and so many prayers. There were complications, truly near-death emergencies. Julia spent her first Christmas and her first birthday in the hospital, unable to come home because her health was too precarious.

But then Julia and Wendy came home, sort of. They spent more months at The University of Michigan Health System, but at least they were back in Ann Arbor with family and friends for support. Julia started to stabilize, Wendy practically earned a medical degree as she learned how to care for her daughter, and then finally they were able to really go home ... with a ventilator, with tubes and wires and meds, with nursing care, and with hope.

There continued to be crises and problems, but the transplant seemed to have arrested the disease's damage. Julia was able to go on adventures to Alison's and to Cam's soccer games. She would go to school with Wendy, who was teaching in a Montessori program at the time. She went on road trips to visit family in New York. Sure, 100 pounds of medical gear and a specially-designed stroller came along too. But Julia was not denied any experience if there was a way for her to be a part of it.

Julia may have lost many of her abilities, but her hearing was still very keen. Wendy played music for her constantly, all varieties. And if a familiar person came in, Julia would immediately turn her head and say "hello" by moving her lips a bit and blowing kisses. Spiritual people, those who seem to have a far greater sense of other realms than Wendy and I do (we joke about being obtuse and clueless!), inevitably told of Julia's radiance, saying that she had progressed far beyond many other souls. She had both learned and taught lessons, and she had nearly completed her journey.

At the park with Wendy on a beautiful day - and while listening to U2's "Beautiful Day" - suddenly, unexpectedly, Julia died. At the funeral, Wendy noted that Julia had never uttered a word, never held a crayon, never taken one step; but she had survived when so many others with that hideous disease hadn't. She had fought for every moment. She had lived.

But it was time to move on.

Julia was 7-and-a-half ... please don't forget the half. Those halves are very important to children, and to mothers who no longer get to count years.

So Wendy and I will go to visit Julia tonight, as we do so often in the course of our lives, because today is the anniversary of her death - her yahrzeit [YAHRT-zite], in Hebrew. Other girlfriends drink Cosmos at happy hour, Wendy and I go to the cemetery to commune with Julia. She's our guardian angel, our intercessor, a source of comfort and wisdom even when we're too mired in the concerns of this world or consumed with our own daily needs to fully understand what she's trying to teach us, where she's trying to lead us. We visit because Julia is still with us, even if Wendy can't hold her or kiss her anymore.

I can't fix the errant DNA that causes the destruction of the nervous system in children with Krabbe's Disease. I can't take away the memories of Julia's treatments, life-sustaining machines, or pain. I can't bring back the smile that was lost when Julia was still a baby ... who could have known, when seeing it one day, that it would be the last one? I can't take away the sight, seared into my cherished friend's soul, of her little girl in a blue dress lying in a casket.

But when Julia died, I asked what I could do ... what could anyone possibly do??? Wendy asked me to bake brownies; she intended to eat the entire batch herself, knowing full well that it wouldn't bring comfort but still seeking comfort where she could. I obliged. It was all I could do.

And so, I do it every year now.  The brownies are an integral part of our tradition.

Whatever shiny, sparkly toy that Wendy and I have found at the art fair will be hung on the shepherd's hook that stands over Julia's grave, which holds a wide variety of mementos. Others might think it's a tad morbid to seek solace at a child's resting place and to decorate it festively, but this is a place of peace and beauty and, surprisingly, of comfort.

Julia never tasted a brownie, as it would have posed a choking hazard or been aspirated. So when we visit her today, Wendy and I will eat her share for her ... we're helpful that way. And we will inevitably go home inspired - an odd reaction to contemplate if you haven't experienced it, I know.

But Wendy and I always benefit from visiting with Julia. Her "heart is a bloom" which "shoots up through the stony ground" ... the perfect description, which U2 sang to Julia on her last beautiful day.

Frugal Floozie Friday - Afternoon Delight Cafe

I don't often go out to lunch on a weekday.  So it was a great luxury to meet my friend Nancy recently at Afternoon Delight, when I took a few hours off for an abbreviated "girls' day out" to eat and then meander through a second-hand store hoping that something might call to us (but unfortunately hearing not even a whisper).  Good food and friendship all in one afternoon!

Today's Frugal Floozie Friday feature is one I've meant to go back to for some time, and it was Nancy's first visit to the cafe ... so many places to eat, so little time.  Afternoon Delight is an Ann Arbor institution serving great breakfasts and lunches, with an emphasis on fresh, healthy dishes and generous portions.

For a mere $3.25 - well within our mandatory budget of $5 per person or less - I ordered a cup of excellent beef chili.  (A bowl of the daily house-made soup offerings would have cost $4.25, still a good deal.)  I was offered a slice of bread or crackers to go with this, and the latter simply struck my fancy at that time for crumbling over the top.  The chili was thick and slightly spicy, a perfect antidote to the blustery weather outside that day.

I also ordered The Berry Patch, pictured above, which is frozen yogurt topped with an abundance of perfect, fresh fruits.  It costs only $4.50, and is a very large serving.  I was given a choice of vanilla or raspberry yogurts or - best of all - a swirl of both which, needless to say, I picked.  This was so rich and creamy, with gorgeous, sweet berries!  It was a great dessert, but would also make a wonderful breakfast or snack.

Nancy chose the small salad bar - one trip - which just barely exceeded our Frugal Floozie Friday budget at $5.49.  This gives you a choice of an abundance of beautiful greens, vegetables, dressings and prepared salads.

As we went through the cafeteria-style line to order and pay for our food, we noted the enormous brownies ($2.75) and muffins ($2.50).  There are other desserts, too - such as pies, cookies, and sundaes - ranging in price from $1.95-$4.25.  An assortment of coffee drinks is available for less than $3 each, and many breakfast options are offered from $1.50-4.95.  Afternoon Delight also serves a wide variety of sandwiches, which can be split to stay within the $5 budget per person.

Whether you're looking for a hearty breakfast, a light lunch or a quick snack, Afternoon Delight has something to tempt you ... and for not very much money!

Afternoon Delight Cafe
251 East Liberty 
Ann Arbor, MI 48104 
(734) 665-7513 
Monday - Saturday: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.



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Cookie Week: Butterscotch Pretzel Brownies

Today happens to be my birthday, which - trust me - is not a big deal. It's also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated in the Catholic Church; all that means to me is memories of having to go to Mass on my birthday, because this is a holy day of obligation.

What is a big deal, though, is that today is also National Brownie Day!

I'm going to be speaking at a fabulous event tonight at Temple Beth Emeth, one of the synagogues here in town; my topic is "From Catholic School to Kugel: 40 Years of Wandering to Discover Jewish Food." And I've been told - much to my giddy delight! - that brownies will be served for dessert along with ice cream and fruit ... sigh. I am looking so forward to the evening - to making new friends, to eating great food, to having fun! But if, unfortunately, you won't be attending the dinner, you can still celebrate this holiday with today's offering: Butterscotch Pretzel Brownies.

Yup - you read that right: butterscotch, pretzels, and brownies all in one fabulous sweet, salty, rich, luscious, chocolatey treat! Some matches are just a matter of bashert [bah-SHAYRT], which means "destiny" in Hebrew.

I'm not sure that I can say anything more persuasive to encourage you to make these brownies. But really, do you need a reason???

Butterscotch. Pretzels. Brownies.

'Nuff said!

Butterscotch Pretzel Brownies

1/2 cup butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons oil
2 eggs
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ounce pretzel twists, crumbled
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9"-square baking pan.

Place the butter and the unsweetened chocolate into a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl; heat until melted, and stir to combine. Stir in the cocoa powder, oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and coffee until blended. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into pan.

Sprinkle the pretzels and both chips over the top and press lightly, then bake for 20-25 minutes until a tester comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely before cutting.

Cut 1/2" from the edges, then cut into 16 brownies. The trimmings are great crumbled over vanilla or coffee ice cream, with a drizzle of caramel sauce over the top.



But wait - there are more cookies!

Cafe au Lait Blondies

Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Pie Party: Brownie Ice Cream Pie

Some things in life are serendipitous, and others can be a bit of a challenge. I had thought that I was going to make some chocolate cookies on Sunday morning, then fill them with ice cream to make sandwiches ... however, my plan went pretty far awry!

A good friend had decided she'd never use a brownie mix that had been loitering in her cupboard, so she gave it to me. So on Sunday I decided to put the mix to use, and had determined to make a variation printed on the box which suggested adding 1/2 cup flour to the batter and then making drop cookies instead of just plain ol' brownies.

I followed the instructions, made large cookies, baked them, they were set ... and they turned out to be much too soft. They folded in on themselves when I tried to remove them from the baking sheet for cooling on a rack; leaving them to rest on the sheet for awhile didn't help. They sank into the cooling racks, becoming a bit wavy. They were not feeling particularly cooperative!

But I am not a girl who throws out food ... nope, not I. So, if the cookies weren't going to submit to my iron will, I was simply going to have to teach them a lesson. I crumbled them.

And then those crumbs became part of the crust for an ice cream pie, in honor of today's Pie Party extravaganza - the cyberspace phenomenon in which it was randomly suggested that July 5 be a celebration of pie, and virtually everyone else on Twitter and Facebook seemingly signed up for this noble mission.

Even after using some of the crumbs, there were a lot of them left ... a lot. So I did what anyone with a ravenous sweet tooth would do on a near-90 degree day: I combined them with ice cream! That became the filling for my pie.

Then, of course, you can't go wrong with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. We'd all be happier people if we could have chocolate sauce and whipped cream more often.

And so, there you have it: my contribution to the Pie Party - Brownie Ice Cream Pie. It has no redeeming nutritional value; but you'll be so, so happy while you eat it that you really, truly won't care how many calories you've just ingested!


Brownie Ice Cream Pie

Brownies:
(You can just prepare a batch of brownies and crumble them; baking the mix into cookies won't change the consistency, and this is much easier to do)
1 19.8-ounce box Kroger Ultra Moist Deluxe Fudge Brownie Mix
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare brownies according to package directions, then let cool completely.

Crust:
2 cups vanilla wafers, ground into fine crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups brownie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a 9" glass pie pan. Press mixture against the sides of the pan and press evenly over the base. Bake for 15 minutes, then let cool completely.

Filling:
1-1/2 quarts vanilla caramel swirl ice cream, softened
3 cups crumbled brownies
whipped cream
chocolate sauce, for drizzling

Combine ice cream with brownies; spread into the crust. Freeze overnight, then let rest on the countertop for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Cut the pie and place each serving onto a dessert plate. Spritz with whipped cream and drizzle chocolate sauce over everything.

Makes 8 very generous servings.

10 for '10

Sam Sifton, who has the best job on Earth -- restaurant reviewer and food critic for The New York Times -- wrote up a list of his favorite restaurant meals of the past year.

And so, I thought: "Hmmm ... what have I, who so relish my food, eaten this year that was particularly spectacular?" (Yeah, I'm sorta stealing Sam's intellectual property here; let's call it an "homage," instead, shall we???) I started thinking back and looking through my blog posts to come up with a sampling.

But then, how would I arrange this? Would I stick to restaurant meals, to avoid the ego-coddling of including my own recipes? Well, I'm pretty enamored of some of the things I've prepared this year; why shouldn't I take pride in a job well done??? Would they have to be dishes I've already written about or ones I had pictures of? For the most part I do have a record, between my own personal blog and my writings for AnnArbor.com.

And then I just thought: "Stop deconstructing and obsessing! If you liked it, share it with your loved ones!!!"

So, in no particular order -- 'cause I had enough trouble making the decisions about what to include on the list, let alone having to decide which was incrementally better than another -- here are my 10 favorite foods from 2010:

Olives all'Ascolana (fried stuffed green olives) at Silvio's Organic Pizza. Fresh and hot from the oil, fragrant, crispy, tender, salty, juicy, and utterly unique, these little tidbits were a fabulous treat! You could very possibly devour platesful of the addictive little things before you realized you'd overdone it. Fortunely they're served only by the dozen, so that you don't have to worry about excess. But no one said you couldn't order another round ....

The cheesy potatoes Tom's sister, Sandy, served at the family's Christmas gathering. Tom has told me that I shouldn't take pictures at the holiday meals for fear of being thought a tad ... um ... odd (shall we say?) by his loved ones, so I can't show the dish to you. But they were a creamy, rich, gooey, luscious, soul-soothing mass of hash browns baked in a thick sauce of sour cream and sharp cheddar cheese. Who needed to eat the ham (which I actually couldn't, because of the sodium nitrite which gives me migraines) when you could just indulge in the bliss of the potatoes???

The maple-glazed salmon from Tom's birthday lunch at The Real Seafood Company. It was sweet, it was tender, it was flaky, and it didn't have the raw center that many trendy chefs pass off as "rare." (If I want sushi I'll order sushi; and, as you can see from the descriptive blurb under my blog title, I never order sushi!) The salmon was cooked to absolute perfection. That it was served along with fennel (one of my very favorite foods) that paired perfectly in a slaw along with green apple strips, as well as being accompanied by tender-crisp roasted vegetables, only made it more delicious. The pumpkin cheesecake served for dessert was lovely, but the salmon was absolutely the star of my meal. This plate was vibrant and colorful and nutritious, but it gave every impression of being truly decadent.

A true work of art at Giordano's Restaurant and Pizzeria in Chicago: a deep-dish spinach pizza. Handmade just for us, there were nearly 45 minutes of anticipation before Jeremy and I laid eyes upon this beautiful specimen. Once it arrived, it was difficult to destroy its perfection ... and yet, of course we did! Pure hedonism, a doughy crust layered with cheeses and spinach and sauce -- an utter masterpiece from its tantalizing appearance to its seductive aroma, and finally its rich, salty, yeasty, sweet, savory, spicy, explosion of flavors. This pizza was unbelievably, indescribably fabulous!

The banana pudding ice cream from Happy Cream Ice Cream and Deli in Detroit. (Oh, my heart is broken! I just found out the shop has closed when I looked for the link! Very sadly, another small business owner's dream has died ....) Not only is there divine intervention connected to this ice cream, as I ate it on the night Tom and I were visited by an angel; but it was so rich, so creamy, so smooth, so generously portioned, so infused with love and pride by the man who recommended it to me with a smile ... oh, it was utterly sublime. Every part of the comfort food that is banana pudding -- from the custard to the banana slices to the softened vanilla wafers -- was contained in that paper cup. It was a thing of true beauty. I am so, so thrilled that I was able to try it while the shop was open!

My triple orange brownies absolutely had to make this list! Still warm from the oven, these are too soft to be considered fudgy; and yet, there is a sticky layer of combined chocolate and marmalade at the bottom that is reminiscent of a candy filling. The orange flavoring doesn't overtake the chocolate, and neither is it hidden -- instead, the two predominant players do a seductive dance wrapped tightly in each other's arms, moving in unison as their hips sway and their passion ignites. These are so good that you will be spoiled and may never want to eat any other brownies again. I'm not kidding -- make the recipe for yourself and you'll find that I speak truth.

The Mexican chocolate loaf cake baked by the River Street Bakery and bought at the Ypsilanti Food Co-Op. This "cake baby," as Tom and I called it as we lovingly cradled it to make sure it didn't get mushed (since it was so tender), was an intensely deep, dark chocolate cake with a thin chocolate glaze ... after all, who can have too much chocolate??? When we first took tiny tastes of it, we thought it was rich and delicious; we were also very impressed at how moist it was, given that the cake is vegan. As the flavors lingered on our tongues and we compulsively consumed more and more of it with no ability to resist, the hints of cinnamon and cayenne started to shine through. There was nothing too spicy or overpowering, merely chocolate paired with perfect complements.

Shalimar, where Tom's and my favorite meal is Murgh Saagwala (chicken with spinach), Dumm Aloo (potatoes in a spiced tomato-yogurt sauce), and -- of course! -- the assorted naan. Yes, I should be picking one of those items and featuring it; but read my last post about this amazing restaurant -- how could I ever possibly choose just one item, when the entire place is one great big "favorite"??? Tom and I ate dinner at Shalimar on our first date ... it has tremendous sentimental value to me, in addition to extraordinary and luscious food. The ambience is sophisticated and romantic, the service is professionally polite rather than effusive, and the food is perfectly spiced and prepared exquisitely. Thus, this entire meal constitutes a favorite rather than any individual item ... no further explanation needed!

Note: For those who read about our recent anniversary breakfast at The Broken Egg and are feeling a bit confused because you thought our first date had been there rather than at Shalimar: Tom and I started that date with breakfast at The Broken Egg. We proceeded to go for a long walk and then warm ourselves up with tea. After that, we found we were hungry and in need of dinner ... thus a meal at Shalimar. It was all on our first date! It was just a 15-hour date ... :)

Love Bugs from Decadent Delight, which are kinda sorta reminiscent of Twinkies. But they are Twinkies not on steroids, but rather Twinkies which have gone to finishing school to acquire some sophistication. These treats are not just adorable and a perfect size to share with someone you love. They are tender, flavorful cakes frosted and coated with any number of tempting options, enrobing pastry cream or chocolate or Jeremy's personal favorite -- a passion fruit filling that could easily just be eaten with a spoon without any other flavors or textures intruding upon the sensual experience. Everything I've ever eaten at Decadent Delight -- from tarts to cookies to cakes to cinnamon rolls -- is absolutely swoon-inducing.

Roasted Cheddar-Herb Almonds, which are a very recent addition to my repertoire but an exceptional and noteworthy one nonetheless. These give every indication, upon first inspection, of being everyday almonds that have a bit of something stuck to them. Try one ... go on. To quote Jeremy when he first tasted them: "Mmmmmmm ...." No words, just closed eyes and "Mmmmmmm ...." Salty, savory, a variety of flavors from the mixed herbs -- each sensation offers something different and enticing for your tongue. You'll find yourself swiping a few more, then a few more after that. You'll give up any pretense of just nibbling and grab them by the handful with abandon. Yes, these almonds are that good. They really are ....

There were many, many other items that coulda been contenders: the spiked Granny Smith applesauce or the coconut macaroons from my dinner at eve ... the Zzang! bar from Zingerman's ... the buttery pumpkin cake that Sandy served at Tom's family's Thanksgiving feast ... the fabulous array of beautiful foods (grilled salmon and potatoes and sweet potatoes and salad and so much more!) served at a lovely dinner by Tom's and my dear friend Martha ... the French chicken with fennel from Joan Nathan's new cookbook ... my good friend Marcie's creamy salmon blintzes ... the cheesecake I made for Jeremy's birthday last January, from a recipe that was first given to the family at the baby shower held for my ex-husband's impending birth in 1960 ... my beloved friend Wendy's buttercream frosting, made from her grandmother's recipe, for which a cupcake is a mere carrier for the addictive fix ... a hot dog eaten on a gorgeous summer day ... the roasted squash soup topped with a blue cheese crouton at The Real Seafood Company ... my own ginger shortbread cookies ... the peppermint Jo-Jo ice cream from Trader Joe's, with crushed cookies mixed into it ... the gingerbread cookies that my good friend Doris shared with me ... peanut butter granola from the Ypsi Co-Op ... the gorgeous salad with fresh oranges and strawberries that I ate at my Mother's Day lunch at the Sidetrack Bar and Grill ... the sweet-tart chocolate-covered Balaton cherries that my dear friend Marilyn gave me for my birthday ... the gingery granola that was part of an extraordinary gift basket from my priceless boss/friend, Rob ... my Mafioso pasta sauce ... the summer rolls and potstickers at Big Bowl in Chicago ... the cream-filled puff pastry at Silvio's ... the raw vegan chocolates that Tom's friend/co-worker Daniel makes ... Talenti gelato, any flavor ... Honeycrisp apples ... garlic scapes grown by my fellow Michigan Lady Food Blogger Diana Dyer, served on pasta and in salad ... the garlicky cream sauce with mussels at Conor O'Neill's (which we'll be feasting on again for Jeremy's birthday, January 10, so stay tuned!). I could go on and on, but I'm getting hungry!!!

There's a beautiful Italian phrase which sums up the year in food for me: Chi mangia bene sta molto vicino a Dio. ([KEE MAHN-juh BEH-neh stah MOHL-toh vee-CHEE-noh ah DEE-oh) = He who eats well is closest to God.) God has blessed me enormously this year with good food, and especially with loved ones to share it with. May each of you be granted those blessings as well in 2011 ... :)

"Hot Damn!" Triple Orange Brownies

"I have only two words to describe these," Tom said when he tried my Friday night brownie experiment: "Hot damn!" He -- the most disciplined eater I know, a former vegan and vegetarian, a man who enjoys food but treats it more like fuel than entertainment -- proceeded to eat two of them. This is unheard of! You should have joined us for dinner just to witness it!

I was in a reasonably new store last week, which sells only oils and vinegars. It's called Fustini's, and I'm proud to say that it is a Michigan-based chain (with other stores in Holland, Petoskey and Traverse City). Oh, it's open and bright and the staff is wonderfully welcoming. There are small vats on display, with little plastic cups just waiting to help you sample the wares. And truly, you could sample every single item if you wanted to -- I've managed to get through about half of the offerings already without any effort to shoo me away.

So far, I've found a balsamic vinegar named "Better Than Chocolate" that is so sweet and rich that I could drink it straight. I combined a bright and vibrant lemon-flavored olive oil with a subtle and slightly perfumed violet vinegar to find that they complemented each other perfectly. One of my absolute favorites was the cherry vinegar, tart and luscious. Oh, the salads! The marinades! The sauces! How much fun could I have with some of these products??? I've already dropped some downright-obvious (why be subtle?) hints with Tom and Jeremy that some holiday gifts from this charming little store would be most gratefully appreciated.

Then, after leaving, I had a potential epiphany ... and that's where my Friday night experiment comes in.

The woman I'd spoken with when I first found the shop told me that she likes to enhance cake mixes by infusing them with some of the wares she sells. And so, later I thought: "If I usually bake a vegan chocolate cake using apple cider vinegar and baking soda for leavening, then why not use one of those flavored vinegars to really perk up the flavor???" But I've been more in the mood for brownies lately, so then I thought I could substitute a flavored vinegar for vanilla extract or coffee or maraschino cherry juice, or any of the other liquids I usually add to the batter.

I still had some of the gorgeous blood orange vinegar I'd bought at Fox and Obel in Chicago when Jeremy and I were there in June -- it would be perfect! And I could use an orange-flavored chocolate, rather than plain ol' baking chocolate or chocolate chips. And -- it gets better! -- I could swirl in some orange marmalade, a technique I sometimes use with raspberry jam. The wheels in my brain, they were a-spinnin'!



So on Friday night, as Tom put his brand new rice cooker to work and made a lovely dinner of Cuban rice and beans with cheese, I stirred up a variation on my usual brownie batter. The brownies baked as we ate, and smelled absolutely divine.

Impatient people that we are, we didn't wait for the brownies to cool; they were a bit messier for still being warm when I cut them, but who cares about the appearance of a dessert that's about to disappear anyway???

So we each took a brownie and sat down on the sofa. We took a taste, and Tom uttered his above-stated phrase upon experiencing the luscious, warm, moist, rich chocolate which was scented and enhanced with orange. He then stated: "You'd better tell your readers that they have to make this! I'll hunt them down if they don't! They must make these brownies!"

And so, this is your mission should you choose to accept it. I don't know how readily you can find orange vinegar in your town, but it's worth any hunting you may have to do to procure it. (I'm sure you could also use fresh orange juice or some liqueur, as well.) Orange marmalade is easy to find, but finding one that isn't nearly entirely made of high fructose corn syrup may be a challenge. (I actually found some at a dollar store, of all places -- the best ingredients of any brand I'd looked at, at the dollar store!) And Lindt chocolate should be easy to find; I was lucky that it was on sale last week, just waiting for my little project.

I happen to be a devoted worshipper of chocolate and, particularly, of brownies. And I have to say, immodest as it sounds, that these are just about the best brownies I've ever eaten ... I know they're the best ones I've ever baked.

So take Tom's advice. Bake some Triple Orange Brownies for holiday gifts. Bake them for a tree-trimming party. Bake them to reward yourself for finishing your Christmas shopping. Bake them simply because it's Monday! Just bake them. You'll thank me, I promise ....

Triple Orange Brownies

1/2 cup butter
1 3.5-ounce bar Lindt Excellence Intense Orange chocolate bar, broken into pieces
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons orange-flavored vinegar
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup orange marmalade

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8" square baking pan.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat, stirring frequently.

Stir in the sugar, then stir in the eggs one-by-one. Add the vinegar, then stir in the flour, baking soda and salt; mix until smooth. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Place dollops of the marmalade over the top of the batter, then gently swirl them into the batter just a bit.

Bake for 30 minutes without peeking, then let cool a bit before serving. (FYI: I added no nuts to the batter, though Tom and I had talked about adding walnuts and they would make a good addition. The chocolate bar contains tidbits of almonds, and one is peeking out in the picture below.)

Cut into 12 or 16 pieces, or just grab a fork and start devouring ....

Sinful and Sweet

Okay, I've got your attention now, don't I??? Mention sin and throw in a seductive picture of brownies exposed in all their pornographic glory ... well, I know that's all it takes to lure me into a post!

But now that you're paying attention, let me get on to what is actually a demure and charming notion: a Holiday Open House being hosted by Carol of the fabulously titled The Answer Is Chocolate.

Here is the invitation that Carol issued:

What better time to have a holiday themed link party than in the middle of Summer? It's never too early to get ready for the holidays, so I thought I'd do this once a month through September, then weekly! Please link up decor, cards, gifts you've made, recipes...anything that goes from Halloween through New Year's! I realize it's early yet so even if it's not for / from this year, link it up because a lot of us are new since last holiday season and who can't use a new inspiring idea?

Very well said! No matter how many traditions we may have, no matter how many tried-and-true recipes we may rely upon, no matter how many cute crafty things we (well, not we but all the rest of you who have a talent for it!) may love to make, there is always a need for refreshment and for inspiration and for updating.

Now, regular readers will know that I'll celebrate almost anything! Here is a list of just a few holidays -- secular, religious, and otherwise -- that I partake of:

January 25: Robbie Burns Day, in honor of Scotland's greatest poet

March 17: St. Paddy's Day, since I'm 1/4 Irish

June 16: Bloomsday, commemorating James Joyce's Ulysses

September 8 (this year, at least): Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year

Oh, the list goes on and on ... I even celebrated National Peanut Butter Cookie Day!

But for now, we're focusing on those Winter holidays. Frankly, though, brownies are perfect for birthdays, pic-a-nics, and barbecues in addition to either serving or gift-giving at Christmas. They're ridiculously easy to make, too, which makes them ideal for the chaotic and crazed holiday season.

And really, what better way is there to relax after a day of shopping or wrapping or travelling than to sit back and watch the snow fall with a brownie and a cup of cocoa??? Ah, it almost -- almost -- makes me long for cold weather ....


White Chocolate 'n' Cherry Brownies

1/2 cup butter

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons oil

2 eggs

1-1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons brewed coffee

3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9"-square baking pan.

Place the butter and the unsweetened chocolate into a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl; heat until melted, and stir to combine. Stir in remaining ingredients until very well blended. Pour into pan, then bake for 25-30 minutes until a tester comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely before cutting.

Playing Catch Up

I've got little crumbs and tidbits to toss out here, ones which didn't necessarily warrant their own posts but which can combine themselves -- like leftovers! -- into a nifty little package. I could have milked these and stretched them, but why make the effort? It's easier to do a re-cap -- a buffet, if you will -- here ....

First course ....

When Jeremy and I ate at Neehee's a few weeks ago, I was sure that he'd love the masala dosa as much as I do ... and I was wrong. (Good thing I didn't place any bets!) He adored the dosa part -- the enormous lentil pancake -- but found the potatoes to be too spicy.

He did, however, thoroughly enjoy the mango ice cream I bought for him to make up for his not liking the dinner he'd invited me to and paid for; and he absolutely adored the sugar cane juice (on the left, in the photo; on the right is my mango lassi, which was rich and delicious ... a perfect accompaniment to spicy food). When I learned that Neehee's served this drink, I knew Jeremy would have to try it: he'd once sliced his finger (thankfully not damaging his guitar-playing ability!) in trying to cut a stick of sugar cane that I'd bought for him, and it was infinitely easier to simply place an order than it is to extract the sweetness oneself. With what seemed to be a hint of ginger, this was something Jeremy liked so much that he might almost make the 13-mile trek to Canton just for a cup of it!

Next course ....

Two weeks ago, Tom and I went to eat at Ray's Red Hots on East University, a place that he used to take his daughter to both when she would come to Ann Arbor to visit him on weekends and also while she was a U of M student. He had many fond memories of the place, so how could I not go? Yeah, I can't eat anything with sodium nitrite or else I get the disturbing sensation that my head is being crushed under a dump truck; but there had to be something on the menu that I could have without getting a migraine, right?

Well, not really. $6 hamburgers, which I wasn't willing to pay for. Lots of variations on hot dogs, more hot dogs, still more hot dogs, tempeh dogs (retch!) ... sigh. The one lone employee was very friendly, very sweet, and very helpful -- a presumed college kid whose mother raised him well. When we asked about the nitrites, he offered that the hot dogs were from a company that uses top quality ingredients; well, Hebrew National gets rabbinic certification for kashrut (kashrut = Jewish dietary laws, a.k.a.: being kosher), advertises that they "answer to a higher authority," and states on their website that they use "No fillers or by-products. No artificial flavors or colors" ... but they still use sodium nitrite as a preservative! So I am eternally leery, and was unwilling to take the risk.

So Tom and I shared an order of waffle fries in addition to his relishing -- ha! -- a Chicago-style hot dog. The fries were good; but in retrospect, I should have considered either the cheese or the chili on top of them ... either or both of these would have provided some protein and a few thousand extra calories, but they would have been perfect and luscious in a "white trash" kinda way.

Ray Charles was playing in the background, which only enhanced the dive-y charm of the little restaurant. And since the food is served in baskets rather than on plates, and one bears responsibility for bussing one's own table, I had to take a picture of the very cute sign reminding people that the serving-ware is not available to go home as souvenirs.

Been very busy and preoccupied today, and I still have to write up my Mexican Brownies for a pre-Cinco de Mayo post on AnnArbor.com; so I'm going to save the fish course I'd also planned to add to the buffet table for another time ....

If It's Saturday, There May Be Time to Putter in the Kitchen

Ya know, one might just think that I have nothing better to do with my time and my money than to eat out, to shop for groceries, and to cook/bake.  Well, admittedly that little entity known as "my job" does, occasionally, intrude upon these pasttimes ... good thing I consider my co-workers to be extended family then, so I'll keep showing up!  And money always helps if you want to keep eating.  So weekends should be a good time for puttering in the kitchen with all my free time -- ha! -- though it doesn't always happen.  This past week, though, was ideal.

I spent my entire Saturday (well, the entire weekend -- but Sunday's adventures will be another post) fixated upon food ... I'm sure you're shocked, just shocked!  Starting on Saturday morning as I caffeinated while Tom and Jeremy slept, I baked the first batch of brownies for Jeremy's graduation party.  Oh, haven't you heard???  Jeremy earned his G.E.D.!!!  We've already started celebrating, but officially there will be festivities in June, right around the time he gets to wear that cap 'n' gown I never -- and he never, either -- thought he'd get to wear.

Many of my invitees keep kosher, but will eat products that have come from my little treyf ([TRAYf] = non-kosher) kitchen if they're dairy or pareve ([PAHRv] = neither meat nor dairy).  And so, because I swear by Nigella Lawson's motto "Never knowingly undercatered," I have begun the baking/freezing to ensure having sufficient treats to induce diabetic comas in my guests and fellow celebrants.  The first contribution to my buffet was pareve brownies using Earth Balance butter substitute -- the only tolerable product I've found, both flavor- and consistency-wise.  I also used non-dairy chocolate chips ... who knew that the generic brand I can buy at Kroger, rather than something like Ghirardelli -- are pareve???  It actually says so on the package ... wow.  Otherwise, the recipe is a standard-issue brownie recipe which makes the house smell amazing and which produces moist cake-like brownies that are rich and delicious ... truly, I mean it!  If you didn't know they were pareve, you wouldn't know they were pareve.

Afterwards, Tom and Jeremy and I made a long-awaited -- ever since catching an enticing glimpse of a sign in the window that a new Indian market was coming -- trip down to the Om Market on Nixon Road, a new haven of temptation near my house which must have done some research to know that I need a source for goodies that is within walking distance rather than across town.  Owned by the Patel family that also owns The Wine Seller, they were still stocking shelves and organizing the store when I was there, during its first week open.

But what a selection of wonderful items!!!  Freezers with naan and parathi and samosas and other vegetarian treats that I could take to work for lunch (where meat is not permitted).  They even carry the Pillsbury breads which I find endlessly amusing -- the Doughboy on packages of roti!  I know it makes me seem like the proverbial Ugly American to buy them, but I still chuckle every time I see them ... and yes, I am well aware that I have a perverse sense of humor.

There were shelves -- long, long shelves -- of so many spices that even I, who have an entire freezer door-full of spices (and which Jeremy will readily confide are mostly Indian -- cumin, coriander, fenugreek, garam masala ...), didn't recognize all of them.  There were bags of savory snacks, chivra, loaded with lots of little crisp and crunchy goodies.  There were kits and jars of sauces for preparing foods if you're not much of a cook, and lots of ingredients for those of us who thrive upon cooking (especially Indian food, one of our particular favorites!).  And there's lots more space to fill, too, though I can't imagine what else the store could possibly stock ... maybe bindis, since I'm reduced to just the boring brown ones and could use an infusion of sparkle for my forehead ...?  Food-wise, there is abundance and variety.

But best of all, the Patel family -- Mom, Dad, and one of their sons -- simply couldn't have been more friendly and more welcoming, with radiant smiles and extraordinary generosity of spirit.  (Sad to say, when I've shopped at other Indian markets I've been essentially ignored and treated as a stranger who doesn't seem to belong ... and that's the most polite way I can phrase it publicly.)  They offered samples of jalebi -- a beautifully bright orange sweet that is a kinda/sorta syrup-coated funnel cake; I'd never seen it before, and they were happy to let all three of us enjoy a taste.  Mrs. Patel walked right up to Tom as he examined what appeared to be a bag of itty bitty popcorn, to explain that it was popped sorghum that was particularly good coated with butter and salt and eaten as a snack.  Although I like to think that I know a fair amount about Indian food and cooking, I am happy -- thrilled, giddy, ecstatic! -- to know that I can ask any question, seek out information, and be welcomed at the Om Market.  I will absolutely be a regular, and one of their best customers!

And so, what did I make with my purchases of red lentils and coconut milk???  Why, a fabulous lentil soup with spinach, of course!

Curried Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, chopped fine

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

2 teaspoons hot curry powder

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon coriander

cayenne, to taste

pinch of saffron (buy cheap saffron at Middle Eastern markets -- $4-5 for less than a cup; it's machine-processed, but who cares???)

3 cups water

1 cup split red lentils

1 15-ounce can coconut milk

1 cup tightly packed baby spinach leaves

Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.  Add half the onion and half the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the rest of the onion and garlic, the salt, seasoned salt, curry, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne and saffron; cook for 1 minute, then slowly add the water and stir to combine everything well.  Add the lentils, bring to a boil, then cook on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the coconut milk and cook for another 15 minutes.  Add the spinach, and cook just until the leaves wilt.  Serve hot.

I served the soup with some paneer-filled parathi (freshly heated for just a few minutes on each side in a frying pan) and a fabulous snack mix that Jeremy had picked out for me, which I happily stirred into my soup but which Jeremy ignored and Tom ate sparingly as an acompaniment; it had lots of crispy nibbly things and some raisins and just a hint of spice ... sigh ... and perfectly complemented the soup.  I could eat entire bags of that stuff, and have even made my own; believe it or not, the numerous varieties of chivra are even better than Cheetos, one of my very favorite snacks despite their appalling lack of nutritional (or any other kind of) value.

So, I got to bake, I got to cook ... my house smelled fabulous, absolutely fabulous!!!  Sunday was another adventure, but in a commercial kitchen and with good ol' fashioned soul-satisfying Jewish food.  I'll leave you with that tantalizing tease, until next time ....

Note: This post was added to the Kahakai Kitchen "Souper Sundays" Round-Up ... what a great idea, encouraging me to make more than just chicken soup for ailing loved ones!!!