Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Restaurant cooking at home

Eric and I drove to the Tri-Cities Friday to have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. After we ate, the waitress asked if we wanted dessert.

This particular restaurant has a lemon cake that I really like. I typically have a slice … or take one home to enjoy later.

However, they have a new triple chocolate cake that also looked really tasty. So, Eric got a slice of the chocolate and I ordered the lemon – both “to go” – and we shared them later that evening.

I have to say, the chocolate was good, but it was very rich. In fact, even though I love chocolate, that cake was a little too much.

Many restaurants have some of their recipes posted online. They are very choosy about which ones they share, though, because many are proprietary and considered “top secret.”

There are now books available that have copycat recipes from famous restaurants and websites are out there that offer even more.

Here are just three sites where you can pick up favorite recipes: http://www.olivegarden.com/recipes, http://www.redlobster.com/lobster/recipes.htm and http://www.outbacksteakhouserecipes.com.

A quick search will also lead you to many other sites that offer the copycat versions of recipes from lots more restaurants. Just type in “copycat recipes” and you’ll be surprised what you find!

Here’s the copycat recipe for my favorite restaurant dessert.

Lemon cream cake

1-3/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon zest
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2-1/2 cups lemon pie filling
8 slices lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup sugar. Add oil, egg yolks, water and lemon rind.
Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until peaks form.
Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, and beat until very stiff and shiny peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
Turn batter into ungreased 10 inch tube pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Invert cake and cool completely in pan.
When cool, loosen edges and shake pan to remove cake.

To make filling: Beat cream to stiff peaks. Fold in lemon filling. Chill until stiff.

To assemble cake: Slice cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Fill layers with 1/3 cup of filling. Spread remaining filling on top layer. Decorate with lemon slices.

Every year, more than 500,000 people die from cancer in the U.S. One thing we do here in Othello to help is the annual Relay for Life, which took place July 23 and 24 at the high school football field.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this year, but Eric was there. He walked the survivor lap and then, he did quite a few trips around the track with the Simplot team.

Eric worked at Simplot for 34 years and retired two years ago.

Over the past year, we’ve lost several people here to cancer, so whatever we can do to support the cause is a good thing.

Many researchers and cancer specialists believe up to 60 percent of cancer can be prevented by eating certain foods that provide the nutrients to protect our bodies from this terrible disease. In fact, they have a list of the top 10 foods we should add to our diet. They are:

1. Garlic: Protects against skin, colon and lung cancer.
2. Dark leafy greens: Rich sources of antioxidants that attack dangerous free radicals before they can promote cancer growth.
3. Grapes: Contain a very potent antioxidant that can prevent cell damage.
4. Green tea: Slows or prevents the development of colon, liver, breast and prostate cancers.
5. Tomatoes: Helps prevent prostate, breast, lung and stomach cancer.
6. Blueberries: The richest berry in cancer fighting compounds, helping to prevent all types of cancer.
7. Flaxseeds: Block or suppress cancerous changes. Also helps protect against colon cancer.
8. Mushrooms: Help to fight cancer and build the immune system.
9. Cruciferous vegetables: Help decrease cancer risk. This category of vegetables includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
10. Whole grains: Contain a variety of anti-cancer compounds, including antioxidants, fiber and phytoestrogens. These help decrease the risk of developing most types of cancers.

This is a pretty comprehensive list and these foods are readily available in the grocery store. Some can even be grown in your home garden.

There are many more that help prevent cancer, including fava beans. They are loaded with good nutrients.

If you can’t find them, you can substitute chickpeas or lima beans, which also provide some special antioxidants and fiber. They have a similar taste; they just don’t have the high level the fava beans do.

Be aware, though, some people of Mediterranean descent may have a hereditary allergic reaction to fava beans. Rather than take that chance, use the suggested substitutes.

Here’s a recipe that uses some good ingredients to help prevent cancer. It’s also a refreshing salad for these warm summer days.

Baby artichoke and fava bean salad

8 baby artichokes
Juice of two lemons, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
Salt
1-1/2 cups shelled and hulled fava beans (substitute chickpeas or lima beans, if desired)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
6 ounces pea shoots (about 7 cups)
2 ounces shaved Romano cheese

Trim the outer leaves of the artichokes down to the tender yellow-green centers. Slice off the tops and bottoms of the artichokes and trim the bottoms to remove any green parts. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise and then into paper-thin slices. Immediately plunge the slices into a bowl of cold water that contains the juice of the two lemons.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt and return to a boil. Add the fava beans and blanch for 30 seconds. Immediately drain and run the favas under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste. Add the olive oil and whisk until emulsified.
Place the pea shoots in a salad bowl, tearing any large ones into bite-size pieces. Add the fava beans. Drain artichoke slices and pat dry; add to the bowl. Toss to mix. Drizzle with enough dressing to coat and toss to mix, adding more dressing as needed.
To serve, divide the salad among four serving plate and top with Romano shavings.

Table Scraps