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Alysa

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Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce from The Bon Ton Cafe

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For the Pudding 6 ounces stale French bread with crust (I used a mix of ciabatta and challah) 2 cups milk 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 7 tablespoons butter or margarine, at room temp 4 tablespoons vanilla extract 1/4 cup raisins For the Whiskey Sauce 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1 stick butter, melted 1/2-3/4 cup Bourbon whiskey (1/2 cup was plenty, IMHO) Instructions – Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make the pudding, crumble the bread into pieces into a large bowl. Add milk to the bread pieces and let the milk get absorbed by the bread, about 10 min. Now add eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla and raisins. Mix well. Butter a baking pan (I used a 7.5 x 10 inch casserole dish with nearly 4 inches depth.) Put bread mixture into this pan and bake for 45 minutes until the pudding is firm and light golden brown. Remove…

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Places

The Mother-Daughter Cooking Project

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I have a list of favorite German words. Some, like “Sauerstoff,” “Pfifferling”, “Aschenbecher,” “Schmetterling,” and “Schornsteinfeger”…well, I just like the sound of them. (They mean oxygen, a type of chanterelle, ashtray, butterfly and chimney sweep.) “Punschkrapferl” is a winner too. (Try saying that several times without giggling, especially after an extended night at a Heurige, an Austrian wine tavern.) Aside from the outstanding name, Punschkrapferl just happen to be the most divine, rum-doused Viennese pastry cloaked in pink fondant icing. Other words make the list because they have the perfect meaning. Handschuh? Shoes for the hands. Aka gloves. Stachelschwein? A pig with spikes, e.g., a porcupine. Be careful if you go swimming in Africa, you might encounter a massive River Horse or Fluss (river) Pferd (horse) – hippopotamus. The German language excels in lopping together a bunch of existing words to form new ones. I particularly love “selbstverständlich.” A rough…

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Recipes

Pecan Praline Popcorn Treats

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Ingredients 1 ¼ cups sugar 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into bits ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted in a 350 degree oven for 4-5 minutes (watch carefully so they don’t burn) ½ tsp cider vinegar ¼ tsp salt 8 cups plain popped popcorn cayenne pepper to taste, if desired Directions Oil a 9″ square baking pan. In a wide heavy pot (at least 4 quarts), add the sugar and stir over medium heat so that it melts evenly. Stop stirring and cook, swirling pot occasionally until sugar becomes a deep golden caramel (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn). Reduce heat to low. Stir in butter, pecans, cider vinegar and salt. When butter is almost melted, add popcorn and stir to coat. Quickly press mixture in baking pan with spatula or using wax-paper to guide pressing the popcorn into the pan. Mixture will be very hot and sticky, work as…

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Places

Making Peace with Texas: A Long Weekend in Austin

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I know, I know. You assumed that the next time you heard from the Red Clogger, she would regale you with interesting tidbits about the month and a half she spent in Europe recently: 6 weeks, 7 countries, a veritable tapestry of sublime experiences and succulent tastes. You’re absolutely right to assume such a thing. And we will get to that. But I’m just back from Texas and it’s high time to settle a score from 32 years ago. Let me come clean right off the bat. I’ve never much liked Texas. My first foray was on a family (mom, dad, me) cross-country trip in the back seat of a rental car. I was 13 — an age that really doesn’t go smoothly for anyone involved. What were my impressions of Texas? Well, we very nearly ran out of gas as we traversed the panhandle around Amarillo. We racked…

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Recipes

Grand Marnier Souffles

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One of the two most memorable bites from my sailing aboard Her Majesty Queen Mary 2 was this souffle. I think it’s delicious even without the warm creme anglaise that was ladled into the center. And the “wow” factor is huge compared to the very modest investment of time required to create these light, airy, delectable treats. This recipe has been revised slightly from one that appeared in the New York Times; original authors were Pierre Franey and Bryan Miller. The souffles are gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free if you substitute margarine or cooking spray for the butter. Ingredients Email Grocery List PREPARATION Note: just out of curiosity, I tested delaying baking the soufflé mixture and am pleased to report that it lasted about an hour in the fridge before baking – no detrimental effects noted. That said, it’s always better to bake these right away.

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Places

Aboard the QM2: Highlights, Ahas, and Potentially Useful Advice (plus a lovely recipe)

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“Isn’t this EXXX-CITING?” exclaims the sophisticated British woman standing behind me in the queue. We are about to embark onto Her Majesty Queen Mary 2 to traverse 3632 nautical miles from the port of Southampton, England to her berth in Brooklyn, NY. I couldn’t agree more. I am experiencing my own anticipatory jolt as I ascend the multi-level gangway to be welcomed onboard by a committee of nautically-clad officers from the ship’s “Company”. As I officially step foot on level 3 of the ship (please, not a boat – she is a ship!) and start to consider the indulgences awaiting me, I find myself in the Godiva Café. Oh! An entire café devoted to chocolate. And espresso drinks with chocolate. And espresso drinks with alcohol and chocolate. This bodes very well indeed. In truth, I am not an OTO (one time only). I was fortunate to have been invited by…

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Recipes

Lao Roasted Peanut Appetizer

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The very first, and thus, most memorable thing I ate while in Laos was the spicy peanuts served upon arrival at the Villa Maly for our “Welcome Treatment”. We encountered similar versions again in Cambodia, but I really wanted to recreate the Laotian dish. Thanks to Executive Chef Rasika Weerasinghe from the Villa Maly who shared the recipe with me. Welcome Treatment Recipe: Fried Peanuts 3.5 cups raw peanuts, I used red skinned 3-4 medium to large stalks of lemongrass 1 large head of garlic, peeled and sliced or chopped finely (c. 1/3 cup peeled garlic) 5-6 Kaffir lime leaves, sliced finely. You can substitute grated lime peel from 2 large limes, but it will have a bit of a different flavor profile. 1 tsp salt, or to taste 1/2 cup of oil – I use coconut oil. Vegetable, soybean or canola oil are also fine. To prepare lemongrass, slice…

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Places

Have You Eaten? (with recipe)

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Let’s say you want to plan a trip. (this is a constant state of being for me.) You decide on your criteria. You want to go somewhere with waterfalls and boat rides, caves, a wild animal refuge, shopping into the wee hours of the night, homemade whisky, skilled artisans, excellent coffee and croissants, opportunities to meditate in spiritual surroundings, great prices, and friendly locals. Where might you go? How many of you said Laos? Exactly. Despite a relatively short visit to Luang Prabang, the ceremonial capital of Laos, I was able to experience all the above. Here’s how it went: I lost track of how many hours (days!) it took to fly from LA to Taipei to Bangkok to Luang Prabang. But eventually, our travelling group of 3 friends arrived, bleary-eyed, at the tranquil and gorgeous Villa Maly, our home away from home for the next several days. The villa…

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Places

Homage to the Orange (and an Orange Almond Cake recipe)

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Happy Valentine’s Day! Yes, I know. It’s been awhile since the red clogs have clacked their way into a new post. You may have been wondering -what’s the Red Clog Blogger UP TO? Does she have Blogstipation? Being at a loss for words isn’t exactly my issue. In more than fifty years, there were precisely 2 times when I was on mute. The first was a random day at age 3 or 4 when I wore a fetching yellow dress and simply decided not to talk. At all. For an entire day. My parents were worried to pieces about this 180 degree shift in my behavior. One moment they had a loquacious little girl and the next, there were no sounds. I can’t explain what came over me then, but by the following day, I was back to my rapid-fire, incessant speech. Fast forward a couple decades to December 1981.…

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Recipes

Orange Almond Cake

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The cake hails from Tuscany and we (the cake and I) became instant best friends at a recent dinner party. On this occasion, I met a group of women who had recently travelled together to Italy. While there, they participated in a cooking class and this was the grand finale of their home-cooked meal. Luckily for us, it was also the grand finale of our meal that night. Now ORANGE you glad you can enjoy it too? ? So regardless of where you live, whether the Groundhog has forecasted accurately, and how chapped your lips and hands are right now, I promise this cake will make you feel warm and wonderful. Orange Almond Cake 2 oranges, preferably seedless 6 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 cups freshly ground almonds (you can use almond flour, however I prefer the less consistent and crunchier texture of freshly ground almonds) 1 teaspoon baking powder…

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