CEIMB- Beef with Rosemary and Chocolate and Late TWD

I chose this week's CEIMB recipe - Beef with Rosemary and chocolate.  I have been in TWD for about 6 months and in CEIMB for a month.  This was by far the biggest disaster I've had in the kitchen.  First, I could not find a 2 lb tenderloin.   I went to three grocery stores close to my house and the smallest tenderloin I found was 5 lbs ($56).  So, I bought two nine oz filets ($16).

Second, I planned to make this Sunday night so I could take my time.  However, I ended up having to work on Sunday until around 7.  We usually eat at 6.  So, I was very rushed.  I have never made beef if the oven and I was not surprised to learn that this is not my favorite way to cook meat.  I way overcooked my steak- it had no pink at all.  Brandon's was medium, but since it ended up taking TWO AND A HALF hours for the sauce to reduce, he ate his steak without the sauce.  So, my pitiful picture is of one bite of my very well done filet with sauce.  The sauce was really really good, but it took an incredibly long amount of time.  

TWD was savory corn muffins.  I really liked them and will definitely make them again.  I'm having trouble with the pictures and will try again later.  

CEIMB- Fried Rice

This week Jennifer of Running With Food chose Fried Rice.  Brandon and I LOVED this recipe.  It was so fast and easy and I thought it tasted great.  I used chicken instead of tofu, but I may use shrimp next time.  I added broccoli and peas.  Yum!

TWD- French Pear Tart

DORIE GREENSPAN chose the TWD recipe this week.  DORIE GREENSPAN- the author of the cookbook TWD it currently baking its way through.  I was so pumped about this recipe because Dorie has made all the recipes in the book many times, and I knew she had something special to share with us through this recipe.  I am dying to know whether this would have been her pick out of all the things that have already been chosen, too.    

I was also pumped because I got to use two of my new Christmas presents.  

I asked my in-laws for a food processor.  Instead of buying me a new smaller regular ol' food processor, they bought me the 11 cup Cuisinart Prep 11 Plus.  After I watched the 30 minute instructional DVD, I realized that this thing is AMAZING and I do not know how I've ever cooked or baked anything without it.  Besides processing, it also chops and sliced whole fruits and vegetables.  Amazing.  The feed thing on the top is so huge that three whole potatoes will fit in it and the machine will slice all three in about 10 seconds.  It also has a DOUGH feature and special dough blade, which is the reason my mother-in-law selected this one.  How exciting!!

The second gift I got to use was my shiny new 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom, which my friend, Pam, gave me.  When I started this club back in June, Pam bought me mini tart pans for my birthday.  Since I haven't bought any others, all my tarts so far have been minis.  So, this is my first time to make a full size tart.

I started with the Sweet Tart dough with nuts.  It was super easy with my new food processor.  I can't image that Dorie herself used a better tool to make her dough.  This dough is so tasty and baked beautifully.  

After the tart dough came the almond creme, which was amazing.  I really just wanted to eat the entire batch and make more for the tart.

This tart was really really really fabulous.  I have made several tarts since TWD baked La Paulette's Strawberry tart and I haven't been as proud of any as I was of that very first tart.  However, this pear tart was the tastiest one I've made so far.  

TWD- Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

This weeks TWD recipe was chosen by Anne of Anne Strawberry, one of my favorite food bloggers.  She chose tall and creamy cheesecake.  

At the end of most of her recipes, Dorie gives suggestions about altering the recipe.  This cheesecake has a TON of suggestions.  One of my favorite desserts of all time is key lime cheesecake with chocolate crust.  Since I made this for a Christmas party, I made regular cheesecake on a chocolate crust, since I think some people make not like lime....

I really liked this recipe.  It was relatively easy and VERY delicious.  The only not-so-fun part was the long cooking then propping the door open time following by cooling to room temperature and then refrigerating for several hours.  It's not a quick thing to make, but it's very worth the time it takes.

December Catch-up Post

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!!  Recently I've been cooking and baking, but not posting.  So, here is my catch up post, although it is a little hard to remember what all I've made....

First (I think) was CEIMB Curried Butternut Squash Soup.  I don't really love curry, but I LOVED this soup.  It was my first time to use butternut squash and I didn't know it's like a pumpkin inside.

This soup was very easy to make until the puree part.  I don't have an emulsion blender, so I used my normal blender.  When I started blending, the lid (which I was holding onto the base) flew off and the VERY hot liquid exploded everywhere, including on my wrists.  

Even though I probably wouldn't serve this as a main course soup, I really think I will make it many times.

Next was TWD Buttery Jam cookies.  I really liked these cookies.  I ran out of sugar and had to use mostly brown sugar, which my friend Julie liked even better than cookies made with all white sugar per the recipe.   I used raspberry preserves.

I did not make Real Butterscotch pudding, but I hope to make it soon.

Next is CEIMB triple chocolate cookies.  Brandon and I really liked these, but I thought they were best right out of the oven, unlike the buttery jam cookies, which I thought were better the next day.

I've already made the tall and creamy cheesecake and will post on Tuesday.  I am making cherry chocolate biscotti today. 

CEIMB Cornmeal-Crusted Roasted Ratatouille Tart

This weeks recipe was a ratatouille tart in a cornmeal shall.  This will be a boring post, but I really really loved this recipe and I will make it a lot.  I have already started thinking of other things to put in the delicious shells.  I can't wait to make this with fresh tomatoes!!!  Thanks, Wiivers (super cute name!!), for the great pick.

Grandma's All Occasion Sugar Cookies

This weeks recipe was chosen by Ulrike of Kuchenlatein.  This was my first time to make sugar cookies from scratch.  Even though this is the only picture I have, almost all of the cookies were iced stars.  I took the cookies to an ornament swap.  Anna Pike, I am SO sorry you missed it since you are one of my most loyal readers :-)  We missed you!!

I was scared about the dough because it was so crumbly I could barely form two disks, but these cookies are AMAZING!!!!!  And the dough is a 5 on my friend Cathy's lick-o-meter.  I like desserts as sweet as possible and these are pretty much all sugar.  The icing was great, too!!