Sunday, April 29, 2012

Carrot Cake Pancake Cake

Not pictured: Robin's hand quickly moving away from supporting the tower. Also, this kind of reminds me of Jabba the Hut or at least his cousin Pizza.
If there's one thing I've learned in baking, it's that redundancy makes everything far more whimsical. As such, this desperately in need of a Thesaurus cake was already off to an auspicious start (really, it was off to a magnificent start the second it was a cake made up of a copious amount of pancakes). Breakfast and dessert come thundering together for this thrilling edition of the Robin Farewell Baking Tour 2012 in a dish that you can pretend is healthy since it involves carrots (thus negating the cake and cream cheese aspects).

Carrot Cake Pancake Cake
Adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook
Servings: 1 large cake consisting of about 6 pancakes
Time: 45 minutes

Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground ginger
2 tbsp raisins
1 egg
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup peeled and finely grated carrots

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tbsp milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon to taste

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 F to keep the pancakes warm after making them.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and raisins together in a large bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar, buttermilk and vanilla extract together until well incorporated then stir in the carrots.
  4. Pour the wet ingrendients into the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Let sit for 5 minutes and watch the fun bubbles forming.
  5. Make the cream cheese frosting while you wait by whisking the cream cheese until no lumps remain then mixing in the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Place in the fridge to keep cool.
  6. Get a frying pan or griddle warmed up over medium heat then melt butter to grease the pan. 
  7. Pour about 2-3 tbsp worth of batter into the pan and cook until both sides are golden flipping once (or attempting to flip. see the crime scene photos that follow). Each side will take between 1-2 minutes. Place each pancake in the oven on an oven safe plate to keep warm while making the rest.
  8. Stack the pancakes together with layers of cream cheese and quickly get a picture before the melting cream cheese causes the ill-fated tower's imminent demise.
We learned an important lesson: the plate you just took out of the oven is super hot as well!
There may not be anything in the world that can beat fresh hot pancakes, and these carrot filled cakey disks delivered. They had a fantastic bounce and the carrot, raisins, cinnamon and ginger really came together to simulate that carrot cake experience in easy to enjoy breakfast form. The actual recipe called for 2 cups of carrots, but we ran out of carrots to grate leading to it being halved. This was a nice amount of carroty goodness, and I think the full 2 cups would be overkill (but 1 1/2 might be just right for my next try).
Take that syrup!
The cream cheese frosting differed from my from previous encounters with it in various forms of cupcakery in that it didn't have butter and had far less powdered sugar. The result was a less sweet cream cheese with a thinner, more spreadable texture. This slightly less rich version served to enhance rather than overpower the pancakes and was an excellent (albeit melty) addition. Together, the two elevated sweet breakfasts/brunches to new heights with a wonderful recreation of a favorite dessert. Even though the pancake tower would have been condemned by the housing commission, the flavors more than made up for its wobbly aesthetic.
Shockingly, the cake became far more structurally sound once we cut into it for some strange bizarro jenga.
CSI: Kitchen Homicide Division

Nearly a year after taking the criminalist entrance exam, the LAPD finally contacted me about interviewing for a position. Having now decided to devote my life to baking and science instead of looking at dead bodies and saying witty things while whipping off my sunglasses, I declined and decided to focus my talents honed through years of watching Law and Order and Bones on solving kitchen mysteries (pilot script in the works).

In the culinary blogging system, the food is represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the amateur chefs who investigate recipes and the people whose kitchens they make a mess of. These are their stories.

Robin's first attempt at flipping a pancake led to quite the batter splatter. ::Whips off shades:: Now that's what I call being flattened like a pancake.
Not to be outdone, I too made a splash with my flipping skills.
This is what happens when you don't get enough air and the pancake folds in on itself as it falls. ::Whips off shades:: Looks like someone was suffering from a bad case of crepe envy.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Great Pasta Throwdown of 2012

There can be only one!

Saturday night, Kevin and I began the journey to accomplishing my life's goal of winning Cupcake Wars by competing in my first ever cooking competition. The pressure was running high, as I didn't want to disappoint my myriad fans (read: my mom and the 3 others). Would Kevin and I emerge victorious from the Pasta Throwdown or would we retreat to our house with our tails tucked between our legs? 

For our entry, we went with the popular blog post Sausage & Mushroom Cannelloni (with zucchini!). We knew this was a winner, so we confidently walked into the kitchen stadium that is Jake and Pauline's ridiculous kitchen of my dreams and prepared to take on some of the fiercest foes ever. If we were going to have any chance, we were going to have to come up with a spectacular sauce to bring our delicacy to life.

Kevin's Special Pasta Sauce
Servings: Enough for 16 cannellonies

Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, mushroom
12-16 cremini mushroom, destemmed and sliced
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
Jalapeno, minced and seeded
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Oregano to taste
Fresh basil to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
24 Campari tomatoes, quartered


  1. Sauté the onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini and jalapenos in olive oil until tender, stirring frequently.
  2. Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes and cook for an additional minute.
  3. Add in the campari tomatoes and simmer over medium heat to reduce. 
  4. If desired, brown any meats then toss in to the already reduced sauce.

Store bought sauce may be quick and easy, but nothing beats the results you get from a little extra effort. This tomato and basil packed sauce really brings everything together and makes sure that every bite of cannelloni is as amazing as possible. 

But enough of the boring recipes. It's time for the throwdown!!

The All-Star Cheftestants:

Sandy

Reigning throwdown champion Sandy (who won a taco throwdown with her heart-shaped seafood filled tortillas) once again showed the world what presentation points are for with her ridiculous dinnssert to start the evening. The wonderfully unique dish consisted of bow tie pasta tossed with strawberry, mandarin oranges and basil then glazed with lemon poppy seed dressing served in an adorable yet powerful dark chocolate cayenne bowl garnished with shrimp (and love). It was clear from this intricate course that we were not going to win the throwdown lying down. 
Dinnssert is served (and crazy good).
Just in case you were wondering how one makes chocolate bowls.
Alice

For the second course, the judges were treated to an unbelievable crab ravioli topped with corn. This resplendent dish got my pick for taste winner of the night and quickly had Kevin and I shaking in our metaphorical boots. The dish was some inspired combination of Italian cooking and a crab and corn chowder for the perfect storm of deliciousness.
Garnishing with a basil leaf! Who would ever do that?
Steve
Photobomb!
Resident foodie extraordinaire Steve presented a ninja like dish. What at first seemed like a standard tomato and basil pasta dish quickly proved to be anything but ordinary. From perfectly cooked noodles to one of the most flavorful sauces ever, this entry exceeded at every level. But what really brought it over the top was the mini caprese skewers serving as the world's ultimate garnish. Also of note, Steve entered the competition that afternoon after another cheftestant bowed out. Despite short notice, he delivered one hell of an entry to cement the notion that none of our competition could be taken lightly in this war of flavors.

It should be noted that the pasta isn't actually skewered too, so therefore this is cheating.
The Heartthrobs
I've never seen a picture more accurately capture our majestic bromance.
The ultimate bad boys of the kitchen (I have a goatee, so I technically qualify for boy band bad boy status) came together to serve up a revamped version of one of the signature dishes of this blog: Sausage and Mushroom Cannelloni. We heard about the competition right after kicking off Easter with this splendid foray into Italian cooking, so we were extremely eager to bring it into the thunderdome. Aside from some homemade sauce mentioned above, the only real change we made from the previous recipe was to add fennel to the sausage for some extra pop to the dish. Our homemade noodles were the star of the plate and perfectly encapsulated the inner cheesy goodness to complete a hearty meal that we were incredibly happy with. The third time was definitely the charm as this was the best this has ever come out.
Ok, we might garnish with a basil leaf. But there are two of them, so it's therefore prettier and more garnished.

The Judges Table
Our fantastic judges consisted of esteemed food critics Mimi, Princeton, Auris and Isabel. They were faced with the toughest task ever-resisting my many charms to fairly critique the food. Somehow, they managed to overcome the law of diminishing returns and fight off stuffed bellies to render a verdict...

The Champion
I'm not saying it was rigged, but IT DEFINITELY WAS RIGGED! (If you have any evidence of PastaGate, please call our toll-free hotline 1-800-TK4EVAS
After all the hard work everyone put in to a night of fantastic eats, it was finally time for a champion to be crowned. Following careful deliberation based on taste, technique, plating and creativity, the judges decided on the following order:

4th: Alice's Crab and Corn Ravioli
3rd: Sandy's Insane Dinnssert
2nd: Kevin and My Cannellonis
1st: Steve's Spaghetti de Awesomeo

Sure we were a little disappointed that we didn't win, but ceding the title of champion to any of these stellar courses was easy to live with. Everyone truly brought their "A" game for one hard fought competition we were so proud to be a part of. Just wait until there's a baking challenge. Just wait.
I offer my sincere and heartfelt congrats to Steve.
The Hosts
I would like to end things with a very big thanks to our awesome hosts Jake and Pauline. Everybody had a great time invading their house, but now I feel sad whenever I use my kitchen that is vastly inferior to their behemoth.

Monday, April 16, 2012

The Tax Refund Party: Bananas Foster Cookies

All good bakeathons must come in threes (See Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Housewarming). For my final sugary trick, I decided to attempt to transform a typical cookie into a thrilling homage to the greatest thing to come out of New Orleans aside from Bounce Rap- Bananas Foster (I must figure out how to make a bounce rap dessert or I will consider my life a failure.). Previously, I converted the brown sugar and cinnamon packed alcoholic banana dessert into cupcakes and créme brûlée, so really cookies were the final frontier (Ok. that and pie!). Would my guests approve of my take on a beloved treat, or would they throw their plates on the ground in protest?


Bananas Foster Cookies
Servings: 12
Time: 35 minutes (including making caramel)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp bourbon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla bean ice cream
Bourbon caramel sauce (recipe follows)

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  2. Cream the butter and sugars together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
  3. Mix in the bananas until well incorporated then add the milk, vanilla and bourbon.
  4. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon and blend well. Note: the banana will dull the cinnamon flavor somewhat, so you might want to add more to balance it out.
  5. Place tbsp sized amounts of batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-14 minutes or until the bottoms start to lightly brown.
  6. Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet for two minutes then cool them on wire racks.
  7. Prior to serving, heat up in a microwave (10-15 seconds) then top with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of bourbon caramel.
The hardest part about making banana cookies is always getting the texture right. I decided to use my snickerdoodle with some slight alterations in hopes that it would hit that perfect crispy texture I was looking for. In order to do this, I added some bourbon and replaced sour cream with bananas while relying on the brown sugar and cinnamon goodness that already existed in the cookies. Opening the oven resulted in the most ridiculously amazing aroma as the bananas and bourbon immediately lit up my nose. The cookie itself had an outstanding banana and cinnamon flavor, but wasn't crispy like I had hoped it would be (one day I'll figure this banana thing out). This shortcoming actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the soft cookie served to replicate the delicate banana from a traditional bananas foster dessert.

Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Servings: More than enough for double the cookies
Time: 15 minutes

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup bourbon

The portion of this charred on my stove is not as appetizing looking (nor does it smell as amazing).
  1. Bring the sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, periodically swirl (but do not stir) until an amber color forms (about 10 minutes).
  2. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the cream in a slow, steady stream (be careful a lot of steam will be given off). 
  3. Let cool for 1 minute then stir in the bourbon. 
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute while stirring.
  5. Freak out that the mixture has boiled over and is now sticking to your stovetop. Spend the next 30 minutes frantically trying and failing to remove it.
  6. Breathe a sigh of relief when you realize it still tastes quite delicious (what's in the pot not what's stuck to the stove. That just tastes kind of burnt.).
  7. Transfer the sauce to a bowl. When ready to serve, you can heat it up by microwaving it over medium power in 30 second increments.
The caramel sauce was far more liquidy than I would have imagined when I think of caramel, but it worked nicely for a lighter finish to the dessert than a thick, super-rich caramel would have. The bourbon really comes through to produce a sauce that could easy go on other desserts like bread pudding.
Cafe TH owner, Minh, eats dessert like he cooks (read: like a total boss). Whoopie pies and bananas foster cookies at the same time!
What started out as a wild shot in the dark turned into one fantastic dish that came closer to my favorite New Orleans dessert than I ever could have imagined. The hot, cold, hot combination of the cookie, ice cream and bourbon caramel was something that would have easily fit in at an actual restaurant (and produced one of my favorite pictures yet. Although, I think a banana chip garnish would make it even more awesome.). The real star of this decadent cookie was the bourbon/vanilla combo that permeated throughout each component. The true entertainment, however, came from me turning super serious as I tried to prep each dessert when requested by my guests. Presentation was key, and I was determined not to fall short (as disappointment would likely lead to my banishment from Cafe TH and subsequently starving to death). I am extremely proud of how this dessert turned out, and it was another fantastic and unique addition to go along with the Fiery Red Hot Red Velvet Cupcakes and Strawberry Whoopie Pies. Fortunately, all the calories were completely negated by the copious amounts of Kinect dancing we did at the party (Yup, I'm pretty sure that's how nutrition works.).

Sunday, April 15, 2012

The Tax Refund Party: Strawberry Whoopie Pies

I have long believed that any worthwhile gathering should have some sort of whoopie pie (to go with your cupcake options). I've previously made these in traditional whoopie pie and red velvet whoopie pie form. For my tax refund baking bonanza, I was going to have to take things to a whole new level with the power of strawberries. Would I do Rick Moranis proud, or would my ridiculously large cookie fall flat?


Strawberry Whoopie Pies
Cookies Adapted from Mrs. Fields
Previously Seen in My Loving Ode to Honey I Shrunk the Kids
Servings: 8-10 Giant Whoopie Pies
Time: 30 minutes

Strawberry perfection
Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
3 large eggs, room temp
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2-1 tsp almond extract
1/3 cup strawberries, pureed
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted



The ultimate chocolate cookie

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
  2. Combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk well.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until a grainy paste forms.
  4. Mix in the vanilla and one egg at a time until fully incorporated.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture in several increments and mix at low speed so as not to over-mix.
  6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  7. Scoop ice cream scooper sized amounts on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes. Flatten the scoops slightly to help them bake through yet remain tall. Rotate once halfway through.
  8. Let the bottoms crisp up on the baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool.
  9. Make the filling by creaming the butter then adding the cream cheese until it's light and fluffy. Add the strawberries, salt and almond extract and incorporate well then gradually mix in the powdered sugar.
  10. Assemble the whoopie pies by scooping on absurd amounts of frosting and sandwiching it between two cookies.
  11. Let chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving to maximize awesomeness.
"I find food looks better when there's blurry food behind it"-All of Pinterest
My third attempt at reaching the giant cream filled cookie nirvana seen in Honey I Shrunk the Kids was by far the best yet. The cookies came out much thicker this time thanks to actually laying down ice cream scoops to better replicate the chunks of heaven served up by SusieCakes Bakery in L.A. (I have to make sure to get a hold of these and some Marble Cake the next time I'm visiting my sister). Although the chocolatey cookies were incredible on their own, the unbelievable strawberry filling really made them shine. Robin did a fantastic job pinpointing the perfect amount of strawberry for the filling, and it went surprisingly nicely with the hint of almond extract. The only problem is that you quickly become tempted to pull an oreo and just start eating the filling (for your jaw's sake you should avoid the oreo game of combining the filling of multiple cookies to form one mega cookie). Make sure you chill these first because the cold frosting really brings out the flavor. As mouthwateringly delectable as the fiery red hot red velvet cupcakes were, I think these whoopie pies won the night.
Dr. Omar contemplates the medical ramifications of what he's about to attempt (and the fame he's about to achieve. Sorry ladies, he's married.). In the end, he renounced the medical profession to spend his life eating cookies.
Stay tuned for the grand finale: Bananas Foster Cookies complete with Ice Cream and Bourbon Caramel Sauce.

The Tax Refund Party: Fiery Red Hot Red Velvet Cupcakes

In honor of my tax rebate (It's amazing how being unemployed for the first 9 months of the year means you get money back! Hooray, economy!), we threw a little shindig this weekend complete with lots of baking and hardcore dance battles on the Kinect (I'm going to marathon all the Step Up movies to better prepare me and my crew for next time. Now, if I could just figure out how to make light up suits.). Since nothing makes you want to engage in physical activity more than having a stomach loaded with baked goods, I made fiery red velvet cupcakes, whoopie pies with strawberry filling and bananas foster cookies (with some brief assistance from Robin, who I put to work when she came by to kill time.). We'll start, as always, with the cupcake course.

I'm pretty sure we looked exactly like this but hotter.


Fiery Red Hot Red Velvet Cupcakes
Adapted from Cupcake Wars
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Time: 45 minutes

Cupcake
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tbsp cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cups canola oil
2 eggs
Red food coloring
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk


Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
6-7 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Hot Tamales for garnish



I swear they look redder in person.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Mix the sugar, all-purpose flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, cayenne pepper, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. Beat the oil and eggs using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed. 
  4. Add red food coloring and the vanilla extract until well combined (note: you're going to probably have to add more food coloring later because the flour mix is very dark).
  5. Alternate adding the flour mix and buttermilk (flour->buttermilk->flour->buttermilk-> flour) while mixing at low speed. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and finish off the mixing by hand to avoid the dreaded over-mixing. 
  6. Revel in the awesome bubbles that form from the buttermilk and baking soda reacting (and suddenly remember that you're a trained chemist).
  7. Fill lined cupcake tins 2/3 full with batter and bake for 16-20 minutes or until the toothpick test comes back clean. Be sure to turn the cupcakes once halfway through.
  8. Let cool on a wire rack.
  9. Make the frosting by creaming the butter well then adding the cream cheese and creaming some more until light and fluffy (Cream is used 3 times in that sentence. I'm the best at writing!).
  10. Add the cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Then slowly add the sifted powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until the desired consistency and sweetness is reached.
  11. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes then garnish with two hot tamale devil horns.
  12. Watch the look of surprise and delight on your guests' faces as the heat hits them.
As the night wore on, guests started to give creative decorating tips. Yes, BBQ chips and cupcakes are a great combination.

My goal in life (aside from leading a rag tag group of tough inner city kids to glory in a dance competition where we also learn important life lessons) is to one day win Cupcake Wars along with my cupcake mentor Jenny once Terry's Crafty Confectionery Crafts is established. I have been anxious to try these cupcakes out since I saw them on the show, yet they somehow managed to live up to the year of hype that had been building inside of me. The cake itself ended up spectacularly moist and bouncy (the two most important features) without being oily (I dropped the oil down some from the original recipe). The chocolatey velvet was elevated beautifully by the cinnamon and cayenne that helped turn done to death red velvet into something fresh and exciting. There was plenty of kick in these bad boys to make sure they left an impression. The fiery cake was complimented nicely by the cinnamon cream cheese frosting which helped take a little of the edge off while establishing that red hot candy flavor we were emulating. Also, I was quite proud of myself for thinking up the devil horn garnish (which I'm sure I probably stole from another episode of Cupcake Wars without realizing it.). These were an absolutely stellar addition to the cupcake arsenal that will only continue to grow as I strive to one day take down the world's greatest baking show. Most importantly, however, they were a massive hit, setting the tone for a night of baked goodness and sweet, sweet dance moves.
Even more to come including an exclusive interview with frequent blog guests: table and chair!


Sunday, April 8, 2012

Recipe Revisited: Sausage & Mushroom Cannelloni

As we ventured into the heart of Houston in search of food on Easter Sunday, we were constantly shutout at closed venue after closed venue (seriously, Chipotle, you can't be that holy). We knew we would have to take matters into our own hands and make a spectacular Easter Family Dinner. We also knew that we were feeling quite lazy (as my sweat pants could attest), so the bachelor staple spaghetti quickly came to the forefront of our discussion. Seeing how it was a special day, I decided we should make a more spectacular pasta with help from one of my first posts, a transformed spinach and mushroom cannelloni.


Cannelloni Noodles
Adapted from All Recipes
Previously Seen in Spinach & Mushroom Cannelloni
Servings: 15 noodles
Time: 20 minutes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups water
6 eggs
1 tsp salt



  1. Whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl until there are no lumps.
  2. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into a lightly greased frying pan over medium heat and move in a circular motion to evenly spread.
  3. Cook until the top begins to change color and thicken then remove to a plate. They will keep cooking once removed, so wait to stack them on top of one another until the tops are completely done.
These noodles are ridiculously delicious and practically melt in your mouth. Even after making these twice, I can't believe that cooking what is essentially a noodle pancake has such fantastic results. I upped the salt for this go around to bump the flavor a little, and it worked wonderfully. Just make sure that when you cook these, you take them off before they're fully cooked so the backside doesn't get too hard. If cannelloni isn't your thing, these extremely worthwhile noodles could also be utilized for a lasagna.

Mushroom, Zucchini, Sausage & Cheese Filling
Time: 30 minutes

Olive Oil
Butter
Onion, diced
Garlic, minced
Sweet Italian sausage, ground
Salt and Pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes
Mushrooms, sliced
Zucchini, chopped
Jalapeno, chopped and seeded
Garlic Powder
Dried Basil
Oregano
Ricotta cheese
Mozzarella cheese, grated
Pasta sauce (I suggest tomato and basil or vodka sauce) 

Luckily, the ugly filling gets covered up by the shell.
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Brown the sweet ground Italian sausage in olive oil with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
  3. Sauté the onion, garlic, mushroom and zucchini in olive oil with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried basil and oregano until tender.
  4. Mix in the sausage and pasta sauce and cook until the sauce is warmed.
  5. Spread a little sauce (try to use mostly sauce and save the meat and veggies for the filling) over the bottom of baking dishes.
  6. Mix the sauce (go for mostly the meat and veggies this time) with the cheeses for a two to one ratio of cheese to sauce in a separate bowl.
  7. Fill each cannelloni shell with 1-2 tbsp of filling then roll and place roll side down in the baking dish. Pack tightly. Place the filling on the side of the cannelloni that was cooked since it's the uglier side, and vanity is everything.
  8. Top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Bake for 10 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted and the noodles are warm.

The perfect sauce for pasta.
Kevin's sauce creation was the epitome of Italian goodness. The sweet Italian sausage's powerful flavor (including some fantastic bites of fennel) was brought out even more by the onion, garlic, mushroom and zucchini. Yes, zucchini is in the pasta sauce. I've noticed that green veggies actually go pretty well with your typical tomato sauces, so this is definitely something I want to experiment with in the future. Additionally there was a nice, subtle kick from the red pepper flakes and jalapeno that managed to enhance the flavor without distracting from it.

Naked noodles
Ricotta and mozzarella aren't the most commanding cheeses but they round out the filling brilliantly. The ricotta helps create a nice creamy and somewhat fluffy component, while the mozzarella (especially the cheese on top) helps push this almost toward a lasagna style.  Feel free to vary the ratio of cheese to meat and veggies, but I would definitely err toward the side of cheese for a more traditional approach.

Two giant casserole dishes filled for 3 hungry men.
As amazing as I thought the original spinach and mushroom cannelloni was (and I highly recommend it for a great vegetarian Italian night), this latest iteration absolutely blew Easter dinner away (thanks largely to the fact that I knew exactly how to handle the noodles this time). This was definitely a quick and easy way to turn a standard Italian night into something fresh and exciting that was just absolutely bursting with flavor.