Sopa de Pollo con Fideos

Following the success of Cajun Cubanos and Robin's awesome Cuban cookbook Christmas present, I decided that my New Year's cooking resolution was to get more in touch with my Cuban half. After many mornings of strong Cuban coffee and an initial attempt at the Cuban staple black beans that was somewhat underwhelming (and will become a post after some further attempts and tweaking), I realized I was going to have to connect the two halves of my heritage and Cajunify my Cuban cuisine for the best of all worlds.

With a freeze approaching and a night-shift Robin in need of a food-laden care package, I decided to go with the Hispanic version of chicken noodle soup known as sopa de pollo con fideos spiced up with some New Orleans andouille sausage along with some fresh rolls and cookies (more on that to come later) to keep us warm and too full to care about the weather.

Sopa de Pollo con Fideos
Adapted from The Cuban Table by A. Pelaez and E. Silverman
Servings: 6-8
Time: 60 minutes

What are so many veggies doing in my cooking?

4 cups shredded chicken (about 2-3 lbs)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" rounds
1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 yellow onions, diced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
5-6 cups chicken stock
1 bay leag
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Red chili flakes to taste
1/2 tsp saffron threads
Sriracha to taste
10 oz fideo noodles (thin spaghetti)
Lime juice

Perfectly shredded chicken. Thanks, pressure cooker!

1. Make your shredded chicken. I lazily made mine by adding 2.5 lbs chicken breasts, 4 cups water, 3 chicken bouillon cubes, 1 chopped carrot, 1 chopped bell pepper, 1/2 onion, and sriracha to a pressure cooker and cooking under high pressure for 20 minutes. This also doubled as most of my stock, and it was delicious. Set aside.
2. Heat your oil over medium in a 6 quart pot. Sauté the carrots, potatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic and sausage together until the sausage is cooked through and the veggies are tender (about 10 minutes).
3. Add in the chicken stock, bay leaf, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, saffron, and sriracha. Bring to a fast simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add your noodles and let simmer until the noodles are tender (~ 10 minutes).
5. At long last, add the shredded chicken and cook until warmed through (5-10 minutes). Adjust the seasoning, and serve with a dash of lime juice.

So much going on and all of it delightful

This soup was exactly what I needed to hibernate during the freeze (It's amazing how spoiled I have already become to avoiding cold weather after just a month away from near constant travel to upstate New York.). Starting with the pressure cooker shredded chicken that was already a delicious soup on its own, I knew this was going to hit the spot. The andouille sausage I added gave it the perfect hint of gumbo, while each bite was overflowing with all the noodles, veggies, and chicken your heart could desire. In fact the ratio of broth to ingredients was heavily on the ingredient side, which was exactly what I was looking for. My original introduction to chicken fideo soup was at the Loredo Taqueria in Houston, oddly enough in taco form because of Texas law, and this brought back all those wonderful memories. Combined with the dense, buttery goodness of pan de media noche, and my greatest baking risk ever, the sriracha cookie (stay tuned), I had everything necessary for several days of a Netflix aided stupor while avoiding the barren wasteland of the outside world.

Buttery, eggy Cuban rolls perfect for dipping or just devouring on their own

The original inspiration for making this soup, the chicken fideo taco, transported me back to Texas during the lone day of harsh winter.

New Year's Lime Shortcake with Sabayon

There was only one thing that I knew I wanted for New Year's (well aside from The Drunk Prussian Punch), the wonderful fancypants champagne custard known as sabayon. I had previously made the sabayon for my first New Year's back in Texas as part of my complicated but awesome Champagne Cupcakes. Given the complexity of our time consuming yet delicious lasagna, I was going to need a simpler vessel and my childhood favorite shortcake was just what the night called for.

Lime Shortcake with Sabayon
Adapted from Alton Brown
Servings: 8-10
Time: 40 minutes

The sabayon looks quite ominous

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp shortening
Zest of 1-2 limes
Juice of 1/2-1 lime
3/4 cup half and half
Melted Butter
1 batch Sabayon (Recipe Here)
Berries
Cool Whip

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl.
3. Cut in the butter and shortening.
4. Add in the lime zest and juice.
5. Mix in the half and half until you get a dense dough.
6. Drop dough into a buttered muffin tin. Then brush with additional butter.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
8. Serve with berries, Sabayon, and cool whip.

It's like making a desserty biscuit.

These shortcakes were the perfect choice. With minimal work, we had a lighter dessert to bring our decadent dinner to a close that allowed us to still be awake and mobile for the midnight ball drop. The only real change I made to the recipe was incorporating lime into the batter, which helped make each bite even more refreshing and these simple cakes even more distinguished. But the real fun came from our super competitive half-drunken decorating contest. Who would ring in the New Year with the greatest honor our kitchen has ever bestowed?

The Great Shortcake Decorating Contest of 2014 

Sponsored by The Drunk Prussian

The creativity was flowing as freely as the champagne punch.

The Neverending Spiral of King Arthur by Ted

Ted's design was simple yet elegant, opting for mesmerizing concentric circles and a sword in the stone homage.

The Mister by Robin

Robin had the best whipped cream scoop of the night, and went to her go to decorating technique of spelling out her initials (shhh, don't tell her it reads as "MR").

The Shortest Way to My Stomach is a Straight Line by Me

Aside from crafting a delicious dessert, I also brought my A-game with decorating (for me at least).

Our Grand Champion 

A Dollop of Berry Love by Kathryn "Fancy" Behling

Kathryn was the first presenter and the winner. Getting dibs on the spoon push method may have been enough to win her the night by itself, but her masterful strawberry cutting left no doubt.

New Year's Lasagna

For some odd reason, Robin decided that we needed food to go along with our Drunk Prussian Champagne Punch this New Year's Eve. Despite my protestations that the sherbert in the punch constituted food, Robin continued to demand fanciness from our soiree. She sent along a lasagna recipe she had been eyeing, and I got to prepping while waiting for her to come home and give me excuse to start drinking champagne without feeling shame.

Would this lengthy recipe be the first true test of our living together, or would we ring in the New Year with happy, full bellies?

Four Cheese Sausage and Spinach Lasagna
Adapted From Host the Toast
Servings: 8-12
Time: 3 hours

Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
8 oz diced prosciutto
1 medium onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 28 oz cans whole Roma tomatoes with juices
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Ricotta
32 oz Ricotta cheese
2 egg yolks
1 cup basi leaves, chopped
1 pinch nutmeg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

The Rest
1 box lasagna noodles 
Water
10 oz fresh spinach
1 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
8 oz provolone cheese, sliced
Parmesan cheese
Fresh Basil

1. Make the sauce. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Sauté the sausage, prosciutto, and onion together until the sausage is browned and the onion is translucent (~ 10 minutes).
2. Forget to take any pictures while trying to get everything made before your guests arrive.
3. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
4. Add in the canned tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Let simmer on low for at least 30 minutes or until the rest is ready. Use the back of a wooden spoon to break apart and squish the tomatoes as they soften.
5. Prepare the ricotta mix by whisking the Ricotta, egg yolks, basil, nutmeg, parmesan, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Set aside.
6. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
7. Layer the noodles in a 9"x13" baking dish with one noodle placed diagonally between each layer. Cover with warm, near boiling water and let sit for 20 minutes, so the noodles are tender but not fully cooked. Drain the noodles and pat dry.
8. Spray the baking dish with non-stick spray, and cover the bottom layer with sauce.
9. Make a layer of noodles with each slightly overlapping to cover the bottom fully. Top with 1/2 of the ricotta, provolone, mozzarella, and half the spinach. Repeat for a second layer. Then make the top layer with noodles, sauce (if there's room to not overflow, which we did not have), mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan. 
10. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, add fresh basil, and cook for another 30 minutes. It is useful to have a rimmed baking sheet under the pan to catch overflow.
11. Let cool and serve.
12. Enjoy days upon days of the greatest lasagna known to man.

Having this many ingredients inside a lasagna means it is pretty much impossible to get a good looking picture of it. 

Aside from actually making the noodles yourself, this may have been the most time consuming lasagna I can think of (much worse than my first post of Tofu Kale Lasagna or a Zoodle version), but it was so worth it. It made the entire Stouffer family quake in their shoes. Each bite somehow found a way to present even more melty glorious cheese than the last, while the Italian sausage and spinach brought explosive flavor. The odd noodle soaking step is a must in lasagnas, as the resulting noodles were the most perfect I had ever consumed and absorbed the sauce beautifully while cooking. Despite having oodles of leftovers to ring in our new year, we never got tired of this amazing feast, and we may have shed a tear when the baking dish was finally empty.

We enforced a very strict dress code for our party. I wore only my finest pajama pants.

Stay tuned for the rest of our New Year's celebration featuring the pure unfiltered insanity of a Drunk Prussian fueled shortcake decorating contest.

Would my shortcake take the gold, or would I spend my night sobbing to Ryan Seacrest?

Slow-Cooker Short Rib Hash

Being on a job hunt presents quite the interesting dichotomy between the lives of the two human residents of my Charleston home (the pets mostly follow the same lead and nap in sunbeams or, in Swarley's case, cabinets). Robin has been on a particularly brutal series of rotations involving both nights and 24 hour calls, while I have had to make such difficult life or death decisions like which pair of pajama pants I should wear and what show I should binge watch on Netflix. I'm pretty sure I can now fully communicate in animal talk, but I'm not certain if I know how to speak to people anymore.

Following one of Robin's 24 hour shifts, I decided to welcome her home with a fancy meal. This slow cooker short rib hash was perfect, as I could let it cook overnight while I slept and then just sautéed all the veggies as it got closer to Robin's return.

Short Rib Hash
Adapted from Seriously Delish by Jessica Merchant
Servings: 4-6
Time: 8 hours

Soon you will be shredded

Short Ribs
2 1/2 lbs beef short ribs
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Canola Oil
1-2 cups Beef Stock
Juice of 1 lime
Sriracha
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Hash
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped small
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Red chili flakes to taste
Oregano to taste
Eggs (1 per serving) fried or poached
Sriracha to garnish

Cut the potatoes even smaller or this will take forever

1. Season the short ribs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. 
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the short ribs in the oil (~ 2 minutes per side).
3. Put the ribs in a slow cooker. Add enough beef stock to cover. Then mix in the sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, and lime juice. Cook on low for 8 hours, turning once.
4. Remove the ribs and shred once cool. Reserve the juice.
5. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Set the bacon aside on a plate lined with paper towels, but reserve the oil.
6. Sauté the onion and bell pepper in the bacon fat until the onions are soft and translucent (~ 6 minutes).
7. Add the potatoes, garlic, and seasonings. Toss to coat well with the oil then cook covered for 10 minutes until the potatoes are crispy and tender.
8. Return the bacon and short ribs to the skillet along with some of the reserved juice. Let heat up over low heat.
9. Fry or poach your eggs depending on how fancy you want to be.
10. Serve the hash topped with an egg and sriracha.

A piece fell on the ground during shredding, giving Maggie the greatest moment of her life (until she discovered a bag of cookies several weeks later)

This hash was perfect for sending Robin to much deserved slumber. The hearty meal was highlighted by the absolutely delectable, mouth-wateringly good short ribs, and the rich gooey egg yolk brought it to near sinful breakfast levels (seriously I'm pretty sure nothing should be this enjoyable before 8 am). My only regret was being too lazy to poach the eggs, as that would have been far prettier and achieved even higher levels of fancitude.

The less photogenic the hash is the tastier it will be.

Happy 6 Month Puppyversary: The Mag Pie

Six months ago, Robin and I made what is quite possibly the best choice we have ever made (yes, maybe even better than moving to Charleston)- we decided to get a dog. Having never owned a pet growing up (aside from a far less demanding turtle), Robin has made it her life's mission to remedy this now that she has her own oasis to call home. During medical school, she stuck to the lower maintenance feline variety of pets (the ruler of our kingdom, Swarley, and the shy but lovable Abby), but it was now time to add a more adventurous and demanding best friend to our family. As the petfinder emails exponentially increased in frequency, I knew there was no more waiting. It was time to buy a dog.

Our first encounter with Maggie. It was clear from the start that she was the one for us.

Maggie May was the first dog we met, and we instantly loved her. She was a calm, friendly dog, who could oddly displace her hips whenever she wanted to lay down. Following a walk around and checking out one other dog who sadly never stood a chance, she was ours. Over the last 6 months we have been endlessly amused watching wiggle-butt learn how to be a dog including understanding what a toy is, barking, chasing cats, burying bones, and endlessly begging for food. With Robin about to start nights and Maggie's 6 month adoption anniversary upon us, we decided to celebrate with a dog-centric day including a trip to the beach and Maggie's first pie (the ultimate sign of love between Robin and I).

Maggie enjoying quality backyard time

The Mag Pie
Adapted from The Three Dog Bakery Cookbook
Time: 30 minutes + time to set
Servings: 1 pie

Our most beautiful crust ever...

Crust
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
4-5 tbsp cold water

Filling
3 tbsp white flour
1/2 cup honey
2 cups skim milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 banana

Even Swarley decided to help out.

1. Buy a puppy. Wait 6 months.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
3. Make the crust by cutting the shortening into the flour until it is the size of peas.  Add water 1 tbsp at a time until you get a workable ball.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface then assemble it in a pie plate.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Let cool.
6. Make the filling by blending the flour, honey, milk, egg yolks, peanut butter, and banana together in a blender until smooth.
7. Pour the filling into a large saucepan and cook over medium until it begins to thicken. Let cool and pour over the crust. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let it set.
8. Prepare for never-ending grateful dog kisses.

The finished product, but who are we kidding, you're not reading this post to see pictures of food.

Initially, this recipe oddly called for parsley. Since Robin and I were fully intending to partake in the doggy desserty goodness, this was not gonna fly. Instead, we added peanut butter's natural friend the banana, and got a pie fit for human consumption. We enjoyed our doggie pie, but nowhere near as much as Maggie did. She scarfed up her slice in about 2 milliseconds then pushed her plate across the floor making sure she licked each and every last crumb off (this would become a recurring theme as she would spend the next several days pushing said plate toward me asking for more delicious pie). Finally, she helped herself to the remaining scraps on our plates before a well earned nap. I am pretty sure she's now convinced that lunch pie is a thing that's supposed to happen every day, but it was worth it to spoil her for all the joy she's brought these last few months (even if she does insist that my side of the bed is her spot).

Maggie's Day of Fun

Our pre-pie workout on the beach. Judging by how my feet aren't even touching the ground, it is clear that I am the alpha in this relationship.

Having fun running free

Getting her palate ready for the pie goodness to come

Maggie waiting in anticipation of her pie. Her tail may have broken the sound barrier.

She insisted on cleaning our plates for us as well. She's such a helpful dog.

The Best of Texas

Despite starting this blog during my original unemployment phase in Los Angeles, over 70% of the posts (a whopping 173) hail from the great state of Texas. Whereas the early phase of the site was me blindly following a cookbook and trying not to set my sister's apartment on fire, my move to Houston marked a transition to taking chances and trying more and more ridiculous culinary escapades.

Paired with, Kevin, Robin, and the occasional O'Connor sister, I had more cooking adventures than I ever could have imagined when this all began. I learned how to handle raw meat, used a pressure cooker without blowing up my apartment, and baked up the net worth of a small country in butter for desserty goodness. Texas is where I truly learned how to think for myself in the kitchen and began to cook with heart.

Playing with a torch toward the start of my time in Texas. Look at that focus!

In honor of my time there, I now present you with the top 10 (%, because I had a hard enough time narrowing it down to this many) posts from the past 3 years of living large in Texas in chronological order.

The Christopher Nolan Cooking Bromance Begins Award

Kennair-Kuelbsian Culinary Theory: Scallops with Sweet Beer Sauce

After 4 years living apart, Kevin and I had a glorious reunion and began what would be one of the world's most prolific series of cooking adventures ever. Following learning how to cook strictly vegetarian food, I went under Kevin's tutelage to start learning the mysteries of cooking meat and seafood.

The Destiny Award

Cherry Pie

The original, and still the best pie we've made (I'm sorry Strawberry-Rhubarb). It may be a traditional diner treat, but this cherry pie sparked the Robin cooking adventures that helped me make my way out of Houston and on to Charleston.

The Rick Moranis Best Realization of a Childhood Dream Award

Whoopie Pies

SusieCakes' whoopie pies just may be my favorite dessert of all time, and this attempt to live out my dreams of Rick Moranis' opus delivered all the cookie and frosting deliciousness my heart desired. It reappeared in both Red Velvet and Strawberry form later on, but nothing will top the traditional version. Plus what's not to love about a post dedicated to Honey I Shrunk the Kids?

The Candace Nelson Award for Cupcake Crafting

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

Maconda's bridal shower was the first time I really took a chance with my cooking. I had 3 completely different ideas and brought them together for some fantastic cupcakery. These had everything- chocolate, fruit filling, and alcohol, so I should have known it would work. Later, this recipe (turned to red velvet and minus the curd) would return in far naughtier versions for Maconda's bachelorette party (you'll have to email me for pictures of that).

The Twitter Frenzy Award

Kaya Toast

My favorite fancy restaurant food of all-time (from Susan Feniger's now sadly closed Street in Los Angeles) turned into my first ever popular post, as a retweet from Chef Feniger herself led to the most traffic the blog had ever seen at the time. Coconut jam, soy sauce, and a fried egg might sound like a weird combo, but it actually is the food of the gods and should not be missed.

The Bartowski Aces Award

The Chuck Finale Versus the Sizzling Shrimp

It's fitting that today's end themed post features a celebration of another grand finale, that of Kevin's and my beloved Chuck. We put our love for the show into our cooking that night, and it came out in finished product. Our wonderful hodgepodge of a dish managed to perfectly recreate what we imagined it would taste like from the TV show.

The Tim Burton Art Design Award

Chocolate Cream Meringue Pie

Of all the baked goods I ever made, this has always stood out as the most whimsical thanks to the awesome meringue peaks. Our foray away from fruit into cream pies was a brilliant idea, as the result was essentially a s'mores pie. This also holds a special place in my heart thanks to some shaky driving leading to a wonderful meringue stain on my car floor.

The Buddy the Elf Best Overuse of Sugar Award

Pop Tart Cake

This sugar bomb seemed quite bittersweet at the time as it was Robin's send-off to Charleston (silly past Terry not realizing his certain future), but the craziness and absurdity of a giant, 3-flavored pop tart cake covered in sprinkles encapsulated everything I love about baking with Robin. Don't worry, readers, I made sure to bring all the wonderful sprinkles with me when I moved.

The John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt Excellence in Naming Award

Uruguay Chivito Steak Sandwich

My favorite chef Susan Feniger makes the list one more time with a sandwich as tasty as its name is long and mythical. This messy cheesesteak/banh mi hybrid that Nancy and I made set the bar for every sandwich I ate from then on.

The Homer Simpson Fugu Joyous Celebration of Not Getting Food Poisoning Award

Sushi Saturday

During our streak of Saturday cooking extravagances, Kevin and I tried many things from tacos to burgers to chicken and waffles, but nothing scared us more than crafting a massive sushi feast from the potentially sketchy Asian market. With sake and Sapporo giving us courage, we managed to make copious amounts of delicious sushi highlighted by the Texas-style Himachi (on the right).

The Clear Eyes. Full Stomachs. Can't Lose Award

Brinner of the Gods

My 200th post featured an extra heaping helping of the excess typical of cooking adventures with Kevin. Southwestern Omelette "Sushi", Biscuit Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, and Chicken and Waffles (along with drink pairings) set the stage for one of the most delicious and memorable nights we had. 

The Chuy's Creamy J Award for Superb Tex-Mex

Dr. Pepper Braised Brisket Tacos

As is custom in Texas, I made plenty of tacos during my time there. Without question, these ones featuring the state food and drink of Texas were the best. Plus, you make them in a slow-cooker rendering them perfect for a lazy couch and TV filled Sunday.

The George R. R. Martin Deathtime Achievement Award for Bloodiest Feast

Red Wedding Cake

My baking style may not always be pretty, but it's usually quite tasty. It was a relief to not have to worry about outward appearances for once and just focus on how many different edible blood splatters Lars, Mother of Dragons,  and I could make. Special points are awarded for my coworkers wondering what the hell was going on when I brought the leftovers the next day (I had no idea there could be so many people blissfully unaware of GoT).

The "She Saved the World. A lot." Award for Repeated Excellence

The Night of 15 Pizzas

Sacha and Maconda know how to throw a dinner party. 15 pizzas and 10 cooks could have been a disaster, but each and every pizza from my bacon jam to Doughmaster Fresh Kevin MC's bay area clam and radicchio and Christina's Nutella pizza brought a new world of possibilities and flavors. Somehow I found myself wanting more when it was all said and done.

The "I Just Love It When a Plan Comes Together" Award

Cafaux TH

A rare bit of actual planning led to one of the most fun and exciting nights in Houston. Kevin, Michaela, and I attempted to replicate Cafe TH's best creations during a rare Minh vacation. The planning night was more miss than hit, but the execution on the real night for our 10 guests was flawless leading to 4 courses (and 5 dishes) of pure awesome.

The Havana Nights Heritage Embracement Award

Cajun Cubanos

I'm still trying to convince Kevin that he needs to buy a food truck with me so we can emulate Chef. This night was key in embracing both my Cuban and Cajun heritage, and setting me on my current path of trying to cajunfy Cuban food (more on that to come in future posts). The Cuban Muffaletta managed to unseat the Uruguay Chivoto Steak and Fried Egg Sandwich in the top rung of my sandwich pantheon.

The Chilton Prep Award for Excellence in Teaching

Banh Mi School

After 3 years of wishing to have a dish named after me, Cafe TH owner Minh did one better and let me cook my favorite bánh mì in his kitchen. Chargrilled pork, bacon, fried eggs, and French butter come together on a crisp French baguette for the world's best nap-inducing sandwich. I'm still surprised I managed to contain my glee long enough to assemble a sandwich without bursting into flames or committing a major health code violation.

Artist's rendering of my time in Texas. Did I ever mention how awesome I am with photoshop?

I'm gonna miss the hell out of Texas and all my friends, but I can't wait for everything to come in this next portion of my life in South Carolina. Stay tuned for the next phase of the blog where I pretend our kitchen is the quaint pie shoppe of our dreams. Coming up: Robin and I spoil our dog Maggie with The Mag Pie.

Robin and I pictured after our first cooking adventure in Texas. We now replicate this pose every night in our kitchen.