Big Soups-Big Flavor!

This post is featured in the Wild Table portion of the current Wild River Review! Thank you, Warren Bobrow!

http://www.wildriverreview.com/wildtable/?p=1415

Tuscan/Southern

Culinary

Conspiracy Theory

Since my first experience with traditional Italian food from the Chianti region, I've been quietly obsessed with the similarities between the recipes of my Southern background and these newly found treasures. There's much more to this than I can cover in one blog post, but to give you a good example, I'll begin with my Grandmother's Chicken and Dumplings.

Everyone thinks their mother, or grandmother had the best recipes for their favorite things. I know that, but in this particular case, I am absolutely sure Mama Nell's Chicken and Dumplings were the best in the whole world. She knew we loved them, so she made them often.

I liked playing with the dough and sneaking a bite of chicken. I wish I'd been paying more attention to exactly what she was doing, because try as I do, mine still aren't as good as hers, but I'm not giving up.

Mama Nell made what she called 'slick' dumplings. She made her dough, using cooled broth from the simmering chicken. And I can still see her bringing the dough together in a big bowl. I wish it had been a dough board, but it was just a regular glass bowl. And I also remember her spreading a piece of newspaper over the counter, taping it down, and rolling her dough on the paper after flouring it. I really don't know why, unless is had to do with drying the noodles a little before dropping them in the simmering broth, or maybe it made clean up easier. Whatever the reason, making slick dumplings is a part of my Southern heritage.

On the other hand, and completely unrelated in my mind, I had a real desire to take pasta classes and learn to make fresh pasta. No matter how many times I saw Mario Batali on the Food Network make the well of flour, and mix the eggs, I didn't make the connection until I actually went to Italy and was standing in the the kitchen of a wonderful Italian 'Mama' and we made pasta together on her kitchen table, and then it hit me: this is just exactly like making slick dumplings with Mama Nell. Well, it wasn't exactly. The ingredients were basically the same, but with different proportions. The kneading and rolling were much more intense making pasta, but it's a very similar process with a very similar result!

Chicken Stew with Pasta or Slick Dumplings
Step 1:
4 lb. whole chicken cut into pieces, including neck and giblets
2 celery stalks cut into large pieces
1 onion, quartered
2 carrots cut, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 sprigs of fresh sage
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
2 tsp. Sea salt
1 tsp. Freshly ground pepper

Place chicken pieces in soup pot and cover by two inches with water. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot leaving a little opening, and cook until meat is tender, about 30-40 minutes. Remove chicken to bowl and set aside to cool. Discard vegetables, giblets and neck. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard bones and skin. Roughly shred chicken.

Step 2:
Slick Dumplings* OR 16 oz. dried wide egg noodle pasta

Place chicken broth over medium-high heat. When it boils, reduce heat to simmer and add noodles or dumplings to pot. Cook as directed. (Add extra chicken broth**if needed.)

Step 3:
1 T butter
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 T all purpose flour
One-half cup whipping cream

Add butter and olive oil to medium sized pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onions, and saute until vegetables are tender. Add flour, stirring to combine, and cook for 2 minutes while continuing to stir. Add whipping cream, stir, and set aside until ready to add to soup pot.

Step 4:
When noodles are cooked, add shredded chicken and cooked vegetables with whipping cream back to pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about five-ten minutes until broth thickens a little.


*Slick Dumplings
2 eggs, beaten
3 oz. Broth, cooled
4 T cooking oil—a little less if using fatty broth
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups all purpose flour

Beat eggs, broth, oil, and salt together. Slowly add flour continuing to stir and mix until dough forms. Knead in bowl a couple of minutes and form smooth ball. Cover and refrigerate for one or two hours.

When ready to cook, remove dough from refrigerator and halve. Roll half the dough on lightly floured surface until thin. Cut into one inch strips, and then cut the strips into 4-5 inch pieces.

Now they are ready to drop into simmering broth. Allow to cook in simmering broth without stirring for about five minutes.



**Chicken Broth

When you roast chicken, save the bones or carcass, along with any pan drippings.
Place in soup pot, cover with water, add roughly chopped vegetables (carrots, onion, celery—or other vegetables you might have, but beware—think ahead about the flavors you might be adding to your broth). Also add any fresh herbs, sage is my favorite for chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper.
Simmer bones, pan drippings, vegetables and herbs for about 40 minutes. Cool and strain. Freeze broth and have it ready whenever you need extra chicken broth.

Once Again, FRESH IS BETTER!

The Daring Cooks Challenge this month has proved once again that FRESH IS BETTER. Michelle of Veggie Num Nums chose the challenge, and it's a great one: Pita Bread and Hummus are the mandatory parts, and can be accompanied by our choice of 'mezze'. I love brined lemons, so I made a Chicken Tagine with Brined Lemons and Olives, and added a new little recipe I'm working with, Brined Lemon/Artichoke/Garlic Spread to the Hummus. It was all delicious! Thank you, Michelle, for a great challenge!

Pita Bread – Recipe adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook

(This is a GREAT recipe, and I will be using it again!! Very easy and really works!)

2 teaspoons regular dry yeast (.43 ounces/12.1 grams)
2.5 cups lukewarm water (21 ounces/591 grams)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (may use a combination of 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose, or a combination of alternative flours for gluten free pita) (17.5 -21 ounces/497-596 grams)
1 tablespoon table salt (.50 ounces/15 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (.95 ounces/29 ml)

Directions:
1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).
4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.
5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes (It took mine 5-6 minutes, and I wondered if the dough was a little too wet? It felt perfect.), or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn't puff up, don't worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.

Hummus – Recipe adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
Prep Time: Hummus can be made in about 15 minutes once the beans are cooked. If you’re using dried beans you need to soak them overnight and then cook them the next day which takes about 90 minutes. (I used canned chickpeas.)

1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking) (10 ounces/301 grams)
2-2.5 lemons, juiced (3 ounces/89ml)
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
a big pinch of salt
4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) OR use peanut butter or any other nut butter—feel free to experiment) (1.5 ounces/45 grams)
additional flavorings (optional) I would use about 1/3 cup or a few ounces to start, and add more to taste

Directions:
1. Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Puree the beans in a food processor (or you can use a potato masher) adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Braised Chicken with Brined Lemons

(Lemons are best if they have brined for a couple of days, but can be used after only a few hours.)

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp paprika

Pinch of saffron (if you have it—don’t buy it just for this recipe!)

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper

2 T extra virgin olive oil for marinade, plus 2 T for browning chicken

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs. chicken thighs, most skin and excess fat removed

2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced

1 cup pitted green olives

1/2 cup chicken broth

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Juice and zest of one lemon

6 brined lemon quarters, rinsed and thinly sliced*

Mix the cinnamon, cumin, ginger, paprika and saffron in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Cool.

Add spices, bay leaves, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil to large zip lock bag. Compress to mix, then add the chicken and be sure all pieces are coated. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2-3 hours.

Add remaining oil to large Dutch oven over medium heat. When oil is hot, remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade, and brown chicken on both sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add onions and sauté until tender. Then add olives and sauté another 2 minutes.

Add chicken pieces, chicken broth, reserved marinade, parsley, lemon juice and zest, and preserved lemon slices. Stir once, cover, and cook over low heat for 1 ½ hours. Chicken should be very tender.

*Brined Lemons

Wash and dry 4 small lemons. Cut into quarters and toss with 1/2 cup salt. Stuff salted lemon quarters (and any remaining salt not adhering to lemons) into quart jar. Juice 2 more lemons, and add juice to jar. Finish filling jar with water to cover lemons. Close lid and turn several times to mix lemon juice and water. For the next two days, turn the jar occasionally to keep mixed. Then refrigerate for up to 3 months.

Super Super-Bowl Snack--Shrimp Ceviche!

Shrimp Ceviche

This recipe is more 'to taste' than specific quantities, so use your own judgement, but this will give you guidelines to get started!

2 lbs. peeled and deveined medium-sized shrimp, cooked for only one minute (I saute over medium heat with a little olive oil). Place in colander and immerse immediately in ice water, drain, then coarsely chop—either with knife, or pulse in food processor, CAREFULLY. You want chunks of shrimp.

3 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped—knife chop. (I buy whatever tomatoes offer the best flavor. On this day it was the smaller vine tomatoes, so I used more.)

half a large sweet onion finely chopped, or equal amount of green onions. Chop with knife.

one-third cup finely chopped carrot—pulse in food processor

cilantro, roughly chopped—knife—about a cup of leaves and then rough chop

sea salt to taste

Zest of the limes (remember to zest before juicing)

red pepper flakes (or one seeded, and finely chopped jalapeno pepper) to taste

1-2 tsp. smokey sweet paprika

lots of fresh lime juice (probably four limes)

Mix your shrimp, tomatoes, onion, carrot, cilantro, lime zest, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add enough lime juice to barely cover. Top evenly with smokey sweet paprika, and garnish with cilantro leaves. Needs to ‘marinate’ in frig for about an hour.

Serve with good tortilla chips. We like the blue chips. Offer a bowl of celery sticks for those who are watching calories.

It's also nice to serve alongside good guacamole.

Careful with the food processor. Everything can be knife chopped except carrots, which are easier to finely chop in the processor.


I use the zest from all the limes it takes to cover the ceviche.

Go Saints!

Happy First Birthday, "Annelle's Table"!!

Here's to Another Year!

Annelle's Table is celebrating its first birthday today, and what a year it's been for us both! There have been lots of changes, and if memory serves me correctly, I could be in for an interesting year number two. We never had 'terrible twos' when the kids were hitting their second year, but there were challenges every day. By the time I figured out how to deal with one, it was already tomorrow, and there was a brand new challenge!

With all the changes, one thing has remained constant: the circle of family and friends that is the cornerstone of my life. I'm very grateful and thankful for each and every one of you! So, here's to another year of sharing myself, and the things that are important to me (foodfoodfood) with you! Thank you for listening...

Fresh Pasta and Two Meals in One!

Arugula Lasagna

When I first tasted this lasagna recipe, I realized that the heavy, meaty, cheesy lasagna I grew up with (and still enjoy) was not the only lasagna on the block! This is a delicate, melt in your mouth concoction, partly because of the thin homemade pasta, and partly because of the fresh flavor of the filling. This is my best interpretation of Lasagne alla Rucola I ate in Gaiole in Chianti with Tutti a Tavola, a group of 'Mamas' who invite you into their homes, and share their cooking skills. It was all a wonderful experience. The second best part of the recipe is what you can do with the remaining cooked pasta. Dried of excess moisture on dish towels, and rolled, you can store it in a zip lock bag in the frig for several days. We made Kale & Pancetta Fettucini, and it was fantastic, but you use your imagination!

PASTA:
2 cups ‘00’ Flour, or unbleached all purpose flour
3 eggs
2 tsp. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Use well method to make pasta..or...

Add flour to food processor. Beat eggs and olive oil, and add to flour with processor running. When ball forms, stop and remove. Add little more flour to dough to keep it from being so sticky.
Knead dough about 8 minutes: push forward using heel of palm, keeping fingers bent. Fold in half,give a half turn, press hard against dough with heel of palm, and repeat. Continue to turn in same direction. Dough will finally become very smooth, and is ready to thin.
Divide into 10 pieces, wrap in Saran Wrap.
Now roll each piece through the machine beginning with several passes through #1, then increasing the number each time until the pasta becomes as thin as you want it. Flour counter well, and lay pasta strips down, flour top of strips and cover with saran wrap to keep pasta from drying out too much and sticking together while waiting to cook.
Boil strips, about 3 at a time, for 2 minutes in salted water. Remove with spider spatula and cool in ice water.
This is an interesting step: after cooling, rinse each piece under running water, and then squeeze piece out, a little like squeezing out a dish cloth, except a little gentler. This rinsing and the squeezing removes extra starch, and water. The cooked pasta, even though very thin, is stronger than you think it will be!
Now, lay the strips on dish towels, and continue until all strips are cooked. I add towels over top and stack, which dries both bottom and top of pasta.

• 1 pound fresh pasta, cooked, or lasagna noodles, prepared as directed on package
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 cup milk, divided, plus extra if needed after cooking
• 2/3 cups ricotta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cup grated fresh Pecorino, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 12 ounces Arugula
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering casserole dish
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

2 shallots thinly sliced and sauteed in butter
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare 13 inch x 9 inch casserole dish with butter.
Mix together gorgonzola and 1/4 cup milk. Add ricotta, heavy cream, 1/2 cup Pecorino, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

(Look how thin the pasta is! You can see right through it to the cheese and arugula layer below!)

Chop the arugula thinly. Reserve ~12 leaves for garnish.
Saute arugula in 2 T butter just until wilted. Add minced garlic and saute for about one minute. Add arugula mixture to cheese mixture.
Add 1/4 cups milk to buttered casserole dish. Cover bottom of casserole with 3 homemade or prepared lasagna noodles. Top with a quarter of the cheese and arugula mixture.
Continue layering, ending with cheese and arugula mixture.
Top with remaining 1 cup Pecorino, pine nuts, arugula leaved and sauteed shallots

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes. When you remove foil, if corners look dry, add a little milk to each corner.
Let lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Pancetta & Kale Fettucini

This is the leftover pasta, dried from excess moisture and rolled. You can keep this is the frig for several days.
Sauce Ingredients: chopped kale, pancetta, onions, garlic, EVOO, a little cream, grated pecorino cheese, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Cut your pasta rolls into strips, and have them ready to add to your sauce.
Add a little olive oil to bottom of pan over medium heat. Add chopped pancetta, and cook until pancetta is browned. Add chopped onions and cook until onions become translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute or two, and then add chopped kale and red pepper flakes to taste tossing until kale is wilted. Also add salt and pepper to taste. Finally add a little cream and shredded pecorino, stirring to combine, and melt cheese. Add pasta, toss to combine and ENJOY!!

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The Daring Baker: Canadian Nanaimo Bars

It's already time for another Daring Baker Challenge, and this is a good one! While not difficult, it's delicious, and also offers a great recipe for those who have to follow a gluten-free diet. Thanks, Lauren of Celiac Teen, for offering this challenge and bringing this Canadian favorite to our attention!

Recipe:

For Gluten-Free Graham Wafers
Ingredients
1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour
1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt
7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)
1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover.
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.
2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.
4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.
7. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take less, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.
9. When cooled completely, place enough wafers in food processor to make 1 ¼ cups (300 mL) of crumbs. Another way to do this is to place in a large ziplock bag, force all air out and smash with a rolling pin until wafers are crumbs.

Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients:

For Nanaimo Bars — Bottom Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
1 Large Egg, Beaten
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs (See previous recipe)
1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

For Nanaimo Bars — Middle Layer
1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

For Nanaimo Bars — Top Layer
4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Directions:
1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.

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Additional Information:

These bars freeze very well, so don’t be afraid to pop some into the freezer.

The graham wafers may be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Mine lasted about that long.

If making the graham crackers with wheat, replace the gluten-free flours (tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, and sorghum flour) with 2 ½ cups plus 2 tbsp of all-purpose wheat flour, or wheat pastry flour. Watch the wheat-based graham wafers very closely in the oven, as they bake faster than the gluten-free ones, sometimes only 12 minutes.

For the Nanaimo Bars, if making with wheat, replace the gluten-free graham wafer crumbs with equal parts wheat graham wafer crumbs!
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For my bars, I did use wheat flour simply because I didn't have the necessary ingredients for the gluten-free wafers. However, I am happy to have this recipe incase I ever need it! When

I also changed the middle layer to: 1 cup peanut butter, 8 oz. cream cheese, 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, all blended well. I made this change for the same reason: I simply did not have the necessary ingredients, plus I happen to LOVE peanut butter!

I added a little Valentine twist by making some extra Graham Hearts, and the Nanaimo Bars were absolutely delicious. I urge you to try them, and of course to really simplify the recipe, you can always use store bought graham crackers in your base recipe.

'There's No Place Like--Your Twenties'

When your baby is making the leap from Twenty-Something to Thirty-Ought, you can either laugh or cry. We chose to laugh all the way to the party! I don't know who was laughing more, Becki or me. After all, if Beck is passing into the third T decade, that means I'm well into the S's. Yikes. Where did the time go? But, Who's Counting?

I first saw the original recipe for this cake, Chocolate Stout Cake by Hubert Keller onwww.thehungrymouse.com. Miss Mouse gives a wonderful tutorial through pictures of the entire recipe, and the cake looked so delicious, I had to make it. I made it once as per the recipe with good results, and then started changing it a bit. The cake remains basically the same, other than using Blue Moon Beer rather than the Stout originally called for. This was for my daughter's 'once in a Blue Moon turning 30' birthday, and Blue Moon is her favorite beer. I also used ricotta cheese rather than sour cream. The major changes came in the cream filling, and icing, plus I added a raspberry coating to each layer, which makes the cake even more moist. Whether you use the original, or my changed version, the cake is delicious, decadent, and worth the effort. Plus, because of the four layers and filling, it offers many servings.

• Blue Moon Cake:
• melted butter and parchment for preparing 2 nine inch cake pans
• 1 cup Blue Moon Beer
• 2 sticks butter
• 3/4 cups Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 cups regular sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cups ricotta
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat beer and butter in saucepan over medium heat. When butter is melted, add cocoa powder, and whisk to combine. Remove from heat and cool.
• Cut parchment paper to fit bottom of pans. Brush pan with melted butter, add parchment, and brush top of parchment with butter.
• Combine remaining dry ingredients, and whisk in small mixing bowl.
• Add eggs and ricotta to large mixing bowl, and beat to combine. While still beating on low speed, gradually add cooled chocolate and butter mixture to egg mixture. Then add dry ingredients, and fold with a spatula to finish combining. Don't over beat.
• Divide batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven to racks, cool for ten minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on racks, discarding the parchment paper.
• When cakes are completely cooled, cut each cake into two even layers, for a total of 4 layers, and set aside while making filling and icing. (If there is any 'doming' on either cake, remove the dome to make layers fit together well.)

• Mocha Cream and Raspberry Filling and Chocolate Ganache Icing:
• 10 ounces Seedless Raspberry Preserves
• 1 1/2 cup cold heavy cream, plus 3 T heavy cream for frosting
• 2/3 cups regular sugar
• 1/3 cup Regular Cocoa Powder (not special dark)
• 1 tablespoon Espresso instant coffee granules
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cups 60% cacao chocolate pieces
• Put 3 tablespoons butter in small sauce pan over medium heat with chocolate pieces. Stir until melted and smooth, then remove from heat and whisk in 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Set ganache aside to cool and thicken, and continue putting cake together.
• Place one cake layer on serving plate and spread one-fourth of the raspberry preserves evenly over top.
• Stir espresso and boiling water together until coffee is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
• Whisk sugar and cocoa powder together in medium sized mixing bowl. Add cold heavy whipping cream and beat on high until it holds its shape well. Fold espresso into whipped cream.
• Spread one-third of whipped mocha cream on top of cake on serving plate. Top with another layer, spread with another fourth of the raspberry preserves, and another third of the mocha cream. Add another cake layer, repeat raspberry preserves, and remaining mocha cream. Finish with final cake layer, and remaining raspberry preserves.
• If ganache icing is cooled and thickened enough to pour over cake, continue with icing. Otherwise, refrigerate cake until ready to ice.
• Pour about half the ganache around the outside top of the cake letting it drizzle down the sides. Pour remaining icing over the top and quickly spread with offset spatula to smooth. You can leave the sides of the cake with decorative drips, or smooth over sides with offset spatula.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• ENJOY!

While we were all 'hoorah-ing' over the birthday, Brady was making a move on Maxie in the bedroom. When she realized the paparazzi were watching, she resisted, but I have it on good authority that on occasion, she is the aggressor!