cookiesinheaven

Thanks to Sylvie from Food Got To Love It! who tagged me! (and Sylvie, who was tagged by B at Culinary Fool)

And many thanks to Nicki at Delicious Days mixed the ingredients to this wonderful food meme!

What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?
My father helped me make my mom toast, eggs and bacon when my baby brother was born. (shall we say...a tad on the toasty side)

Who had the most influence on your cooking?
My mom. She had no idea how to cook when she got married at 18 but constantly was reading cookbooks and trying things out.

Do you have an old photo as "evidence" of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?
If I did, I would burn it! (like my early cooking attempts)

Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?
Anything that involves my killing an animal. I can't stand to battle crabs in pots. (oh...but they are so tasty...)

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest let down?
I love my little garlic skin remover. A little tube of yellow silicon. Nothing much. But I use it all the time and I love it. The Cuisinart still has to be my biggest let down. Sure it's great for many things, salsa, etc., but it really is clunky and a pain in the a** to clean.

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like - and probably no one else! hmmm...I don't know really....peanut butter and banana sandwiches, I suppose. (thanks to my Dad.)

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don’t want to live without?
Ice Cream, Mac & Cheese, beef steak tomatoes (weird, eh?)

The quickies section:

Your favorite ice-cream - pistachio
A dish you will probably never eat - rattle snake anything
Your own signature dish… cookies!
A common ingredient you just can't bring yourself to stomach - not really an ingredient, but there is no way in h*** I can ever get near LIVER. (I gag)
Any signs that this passion is going slightly over the edge and may need intervention? my cookbook collection is growing to NYLibrary proportions
Any embarrassing eating habits? Not that anyone has warned me of anyway....
Who would you want to come into your kitchen to cook dinner for you? TYLER FLORENCE! (of course!)

(The computer is down again today....thanks to Kinkos I'm finishing off this "meme" so posting may be sporadic again.)

I am a sucker for catalogues. Really. I've got tons that I flip through and dream about. Everything from labels to clothing...I've got a catalog for it.

However, one of the most educational and inspirational catalogues is The Cook's Garden. It comes from Londonderry, Vermont and they carry pretty much everything a Cook needs to grow. They've got seeds galore. Like Lettuce...they've got seeds for Merlot, Bolzano, Rossa di Trento, Curly Oakleaf, Maserati, Royal Oak Leaf, Lollo Rossa, Forellenschluss, Ballon, Little Gem, Kinemontpas, etc....who KNEW there were so MANY varietals!

And...they have cookbooks....and recipes....whooo hooo!

For those gardeners out there who are inundated with the "plant who wants to overtake the world in summer". Here are some ideas on what to do with your "zukes"

Summer Squash Enchiladas, Zucchini Pancakes, Chicken Pot Pie w/ Butternut Squash or Savory Zucchini-Rice Custard

Call them and sign up to receive their free catalogue. I think you'll be glad you did!

Well...with golf on peoples minds right now, I'm pulling out The Second Round - Tea-Time at the Masters cookbook from the Junior League of Augusta, GA. (Yes...Danno...yet another JRL cookbook!)

Beauty, convenience and exceptional culinary instruction are just a few reasons to call this cookbook your own. The accent is on today's trends toward fresh and healthy ingredients. All recipes are triple-tested and sales of the book are approaching those of its predecessor, "Tea Time At The Masters".

Some of the mouth watering recipes include: Vidalia Onion Spread, Nicklaus' Broccoli Supreme, The Greenbrier Hotel Bread Pudding, James River Shrimp Creole, Stuffed Wine Braised Flank Steak, Cornish Game Hens Veronique with Orange Rice, Raymond Floyd's Spicy Chili.

But...we'll concentrate on a dessert....as we crave those the most!

Blueberry Cream Pie

Yield: 1 9" pie

Filling:
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 pint fresh blueberries (approx. 2 1/2 cups) rinsed and stemmed
1 9" pie crust, unbaked

Combine sour cream, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt and egg in mixing bowl.
Beat until smooth, about 3-4 minutes
Fold in blueberries. Pour mixture into pie crust.
Bake @ 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
Sprinkle topping over pie.
Bake an additional 10 minutes.
Chill and Serve.

Topping:
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Combine flour and butter in mixing bowl with bastery blender.
Add pecans. Mix well.

The omniscient Oracle of Starbucks can tell you everything about your personality by what you drink at Starbucks. Simply enter your full drink order -- including size -- and the all-knowing Oracle will tell you everything about your personality. Better yet, input your friends' orders to find out what they're really like.

Unlike other imitations, the Oracle is 100% accurate

Go to the Oracle.....now.

Sorry for leaving y'all hanging....so I am going to have to get back to posting and catch up on some "tags" that I have been given.

My name is Jill. I am an web-a-holic. It has been one week since I last posted.

Most of the major papers generally have their "food sections" running on Wednesdays. It really is fascinating to see what different parts of the country are eating, enjoying....both food and restaurant trend wise.

In surfing the cuisine pages, I ran across this unusual Peanut Butter Cookies from the Baltimore Sun....with a surprise ingredient....orange juice. Who knew?

Peanut-Butter Crisscrosses

Makes 2 dozen to 3 dozen cookies
2 cups sifted regular flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup orange juice

Measure flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a sifter. In a large bowl, cream shortening and peanut butter with brown and granulated sugars until fluffy; beat in egg. Sift in flour mixture, adding alternately with the orange juice and blending well to make stiff dough.

Chill until firm enough to handle. Roll dough, a teaspoon at a time, into balls; place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten balls crisscross fashion with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on a wire rack.

Per serving (based on 24 cookies, 1 cookie in serving): 142 calories; 3 grams protein; 7 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 17 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber; 9 milligrams cholesterol; 103 milligrams sodium

Some of the great food sections:

Los Angeles Times, New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, San Diego Union Tribune, Los Angeles Daily News

OK...OK...I know it's KRAFT, but I really enjoy receiving this little magazine. They come up with amazing and creative things to do with their products, that not only are tasty....but quick and easy to make. Even quicker and easier to chow down on, too.

The newest edition has these amazing looking "chilled desserts" that are just making me drool all over the place. It has been hot here in SoCal. I thought these Frozen Peach Shortcake Squares look fun. It combines some of my favorite "summer comfort" foods...pound cake...jello....raspberries...and, I'll admit it...and don't tell anyone, but I have secret cravings for Cool Whip. (I know...me bad.)

Frozen Peach Shortcake Squares

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 3 hr 10 min
Makes: 12 servings

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1 pt. (2 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Brand Peach Flavor Gelatin (unprepared)
4 cups pound cake cubes
1/4 cup raspberry preserves
12 small peach slices
12 raspberries

STIR whipped topping, ice cream and dry gelatin in large bowl until well blended. Stir in cake cubes. Spoon into 8-inch square pan.
FREEZE 3 hours or until firm.
DRIZZLE with raspberry preserves. Cut into squares. Top each square with 1 peach slice and 1 raspberry. Store leftover dessert in freezer.

KRAFT KITCHENS TIPS
Great Substitute Prepare as directed, using COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping, low fat ice cream, JELL-O Brand Peach Sugar Free Low Calorie Gelatin and reduced fat pound cake.

How To Thaw COOL WHIP Place unopened 8 oz. tub in refrigerator for 4 hours. Do not thaw in microwave.

The Food & Family Magazine is available online...or you can sign up and have it arrive at your doorstep quarterly. And it's FREE.

I found my copy at a local library book sale. The cover is well loved, but from what I understand, the recipes found in the book are also well loved. I haven't made anything from it yet, but I plan to.....soon.

I tried to find out more about Ms. Peck, but alas, not too much comes up in searching. The book apparently is a little too hard to find in it's original hardback form, but Amazon has listed a paperback version. (You can always click on the title of each blog entry to find where you can purchase a copy of the book...or the closest I can find.)

With recipes for puff paste and strudel, petits fours glaces and pound cakes - every sophisticated dessert and pastry the heart desires - Paula Peck introduces readers to the art of fine baking. For far too long The Art of Fine Baking has been out of print and unavailable. The Cook's Classic Library edition of this timeless classic belongs in the kitchen of every serious cook.

The book flap tells a little bit about her, but, in all honesty it just brings more questions of who she was.

"Paula Peck was born in New York, where she lives today (1961) with her husband, James, and young sons Sam and Charles. She has contributed recipes to, and had her pastries photographed for, The New York Times and Life, and has taught at the James Beard Cooking School, where she first shared with others her revolutionary ideas for home baking. Mr. Beard writes: "Her enthusiam for the work table and range is refreshing. Her way to combat fatigue and worry is to get into the kitchen and turn out a hundred or so croissants or two or three batches of puff paste with all embellisments. She is an outstanding juggler with rolling pin and mixing bowl, and the magic results fill her larder and freezer to overflowing. Her home is an oasis for hungry traveleers and guests, for there is always enough delectable food in her kitchen to serve a good-sized party."

Whipped Cream

Servings: 6

1 Cup Heavy cream
2 Tablespoon Fine granulated sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Cream for whipping should be at least 1 day old. It can be kept in the refrigerator in a sealed container for more than a week. Before being whipped it should be very cold. In hot weather the bowl and beater should also be chilled.

Using a well chilled bowl, or setting the bowl over ice, beat cream with an electric mixer or rotary egg beater. As cream begins to thicken, beat in sugar and vanilla. Continue beating until stiff.

If not to be served at once, place in refrigerator, where it may be kept 2-3 hours.

The Yield From A Cup of Cream Can Be Increased (with a very slight difference in texture) by adding 1 egg white to each cup of whipped and flavored cream. Beat the egg white until it holds soft peaks. Sprinkle in 1 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar. Continue beating til very stiff. Fold into whipped cream.

To Prepare Whipped Cream A Day or Two Ahead of Time: Soften 1/2 teaspoon granulated gelatin (for each cup of cream to be whipped) in a small metal cup containing a tablespoon of cold water. Set cup in a pan of boiling water or over low heat, until gelatin dissolves and looks clear. Stirring is unneccessary.

Beat dissolved gelatin into the cream just as cream begins to thicken. Gelatin will also give whipped cream extra firmness so it can be used for decorating with a pastry bag.

Flavoring Whipped Cream: To each cup of whipped cream, 1 of the following flavorings can be added: 2 tb sifted dark, unsweetened cocoa, 2-4 tb rum, cognac, or any liquer, 1/2 c nougat powder, 1 ts instant coffee powder. Fold flavorings into cream AFTER it has been whipped.

I always wanted to live here when I was a little girl. It held a certain fascination, a certain magical quality. But, alas...twas not to be.

I found many years ago a cookbook that somewhat eased my non Nantucket living pangs...Nantucket Recipes - From the Fog Island Cafe. I could just imagine myself pulling up a stool at the restaurant and enjoying the hospitality and good food.

What is Nantucket without CRANBERRIES! The island is home to the world's largest natural cranberry bog.

CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES

Yields about 3 dozen cookies

1 lb butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 cups shredded coconut
2 cups dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F degrees and grease the cookies sheets

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars together until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Add oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly.

Stir in orange zest, shredded coconut and dried cranberries and mix until evenly distributed in the dough.

Drop cookies by rounded tablespponsful onto greased cookie sheet spacing 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12 - 14 minutes until the cookies are gold brown.

Remove the cookies from the oven and wait a few minute before transferring to cooling racks.

These cookies are somewhat fragile until they cool.

Meet Pat Kuleto....Culinary Entrepreneur!

Over the last 30 years, Pat Kuleto has achieved worldwide renown for designing over 170 restaurants including San Francisco’s Fog City Diner, Kuleto’s and Postrio, Atlanta’s Buckhead Diner and Chops, and Chicago’s Papagus. His name has become synonymous with restaurants, food and wine; he is one of the leaders in the field of hospitality design, and named by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 Innovators in their 2000 Millennium issue.

In addition, Kuleto has become a restaurateur through his partnerships with acclaimed Bay Area chefs.

Farallon with chef/co-owner Mark Franz (one of my all time favorite restaurants)
Boulevard with chef/co-owner Nancy Oakes
Jardinière with /co-owner Traci Des Jardins

Chef's Report Interview with Mr. Kuleto.
Time.com names Mr. Kuleto as an one of the top 100 Innovators.
Pat Kuleto writes about the future in the San Francisco Chronicle.

This recipe is adapted from a modest paperback by food writer and cookbook author Linda Merinoff called "Gingerbread: 99 Delicious Recipes From Sweet to Savory" (Simon & Schuster, 1989): and is simply called Shortbread,

It makes a cookie that is not too sweet and does not taste as rich as regular shortbread. It is not a true shortbread, as it calls for an egg. But not a gingersnap, because it doesn't have the molasses. It's just good!

They can survive being a little underbaked (a bit more crumble) or overbaked (approaching a biscotti crunch.)

Shortbread

Makes about 3 dozen. This recipe makes a non-crumby dough that's pale enough to see the flecks of cinnamon, and it re-rolls easily, holding the shape of even the most faceted cookie cutter. The aroma while these cookies are baking could sell a house with no closet space.

2 to 2 1/2 cups flour, plus additional for the work surface
1/4 cup rice flour (may substitute cornstarch)
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix together both flours and set aside. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the brown and superfine sugars, egg, milk, ginger and cinnamon and mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times, just until smooth. (Dough should not be sticky; if it is, keep adding a bit more regular flour.)

Pat out or use a rolling pin to make the dough 1/4-inch thick. At this point, you can use cookie cutters or a knife to cut the dough into shapes or rectangles 3 to 4 inches long and 1 inch wide. If you use cutters, be sure to re-dip the sharp edges in flour before each use, to ensure easy release.

Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a nonstick baking sheet; they do not spread while baking so you can place them pretty close together.

Bake for 30 minutes or just until the edges of each cookie are pale brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely.

*NOTE: A thinner roll of dough will yield more cookies; the thinner cookies will take less time to bake.

Per serving: 88 calories, 1 gm protein, 9 gm carbohydrates, 5 gm fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 3 gm saturated fat, 3 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber

According to Kellogg's, an employee by the name of Mildred Day concocted the snack as a treat for a Camp Fire Girls fundraiser. The recipe was first published in 1941 and has been such a success that Kellogg's has been selling a premade version of Rice Krispies Treats for many years.
And these special treats have been a childhood staple for many a kid (myself included.)

Of course, tastes have changed and the desire for more "fun" shapes have invaded the Krispies Treats arena. Here's one that would be good for Dad or Grad!

KRISPIE COCOA MINI-FOOTBALLS

3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup Peanut butter
6 cups KELLOGG'S® COCOA KRISPIES® cereal
or KELLOGG'S® RICE KRISPIES® cereal

1. Melt margarine in large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Mix peanut butter into the marshmallow mixture.

3. Add KELLOGG'S COCOA KRISPIES cereal. stir until well coated.

4. Shape mixture into 3-inch footballs.

5. Use prepared frosting to pipe on football markings and stitching. Best if served the same day.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:Microwave margarine and marshmallows at HIGH 2 minutes in microwave-safe bowl. Stir to combine. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute longer. Stir until smooth. Add peanut butter, stir until smooth. Add cereal and stir until well coated. Shape mixture as directed in step 4 above and decorate.Microwave cooking times may vary.

NOTE:For best results, use fresh marshmallows.1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme can be substituted for marshmallows. Diet, reduced calorie or tub margarine is not recommended.

Store no more than two days in airtight container.

Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill
With Abraham, Martin, and John - "Dion"

Robert Francis Kennedy was slain on june 5, 1968 in the kitchen at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California shortly after claiming victory in that state's crucial democratic primary. He was 42 years old.

He was a single man who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it

He may be gone...but his words and images live on.

"There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"

Those very words have always inspired me in everything I do. Thank you, Bobby.

NAME THAT RESTAURANT!

A new organic fast food restaurant and eco-friendly brand needs a name! They are launching in NYC with plans to expand across North America. They need a great brand name that can initially be tied to the restaurant but can later be extended to other product categories. Think hip and young. They are looking for high-concept over cliché. They are offering $1000 to anyone who comes up with a name that they use. Please send submissions by July 1, 2005 to: anagy03@yahoo.com. Be sure to put "NAMING CONTEST" in the subject category.

Meet Bradley Ogden

Bay Area chef Bradley Ogden rose to national prominence as the executive chef for San Francisco’s renowned Campton Place Hotel. Later, Ogden and partner Michael Dellar opened Ogden’s signature restaurant, The Lark Creek Inn in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, which has been acclaimed by leading critics and publications as one of the best restaurants in the nation. It was followed by One Market Restaurant in San Francisco, Lark Creek in Walnut Creek and San Mateo, Yankee Pier in Larkspur, Parcel 104 in Santa Clara, and Arterra in Del Mar.

Among other awards, Ogden has been named Best Chef California by the James Beard Foundation, one of the Great American Chefs by the International Wine and Food Society, winner of the Golden Plate Award by the American Academy of Achievement, and Chef of the Year by the Culinary Institute of America.

In March of 2003, Ogden partnered with Caesar’s Palace to open a restaurant in Las Vegas, Ogden’s first restaurant outside of California. In 2004, Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace received "Best New Restaurant" award by the James Beard Foundation.

Ogden, a native of Traverse City, Michigan, feels perhaps the greatest influence on his cooking came from his early exposure to fresh, Native American foods. "Coming from the Midwest, I grew up with freshly caught trout, free-range chickens, and hand-picked fruits and vegetables. As my culinary training exposed me to new techniques and ingredients, I never lost my appreciation for those basic tastes." His philosophy remains: "Keep it simple; use the freshest ingredients available and put them together in such a way that the flavors, colors and textures combine to bring out the best in each other."

WARM PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING WITH
EGGNOG ICE CREAM

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
5 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
3 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 loaf day-old cinnamon-raisin bread or brioche
Eggnog ice cream (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter sides and bottom of eight 8-ounce ramekins or souffle dishes, approximately 2 inches high and 5 inches in diameter.
To prepare custard, whisk together in a bowl the eggs, pumpkin, half-and-half, sugars, vanilla and spices. Pour through a strainer and set aside.
Remove crust from the bread cut into eight 3-inch squares 1/2-inch thick. Cut the remaining bread into 3/4-inch cubes (you'll need 4 cups of the cubed bread).
Place one of the 3-inch squares of bread in the bottom of the buttered ramekin. Top with 1/2 cup of the cubes of bread and then pour in six ounces of the custard. Let sit for 30 minutes so the bread has a chance to absorb the custard, then top off with a little more custard.
Place the ramekins in a water bath and bake in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Let the pudding cool at room temperature. Serve while still warm.
To serve, unmold the ramekins and place on a plate with the top side up. Top with eggnog ice cream.

Note: Ogden says the pudding can be prepared the day before and warmed on the day of the meal. To serve, top with eggnog ice cream or the ice cream of your choice.
Makes 8 servings.

Eggnog ice cream:
8 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup dark rum
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Freshly grated nutmeg

Lightly beat egg yolks in a 2-quart, noncorrosive, stainless steel saucepan. Add 1 cup of the heavy cream, the half-and-half, the sugar and the salt to the beaten yolks and mix well. Add the vanilla bean.

Set the saucepan over medium heat and stir the custard frequently until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 180 degrees). Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the mixture through a fine strainer into a medium bowl set over ice. Add the vanilla extract and nutmeg.

Add brandy to a saucepan and heat over moderate heat until reduced by half. Add the reduced brandy to the custard with the remaining heavy cream and dark rum. Stir together.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions.
Makes 1 quart.

The "Doughboy!" Whooo Hoooo!

The Pillsbury Doughboy, the pudgy icon who hawks cookies, baking products and refrigerated rolls with a familiar giggle, kicked off a 40th birthday celebration tour Wednesday with a party in Manhattan's Times Square.

The Doughboy, also known as Poppin' Fresh, was introduced to the public in 1965. He was the brainchild of Rudy Perz, a creative director for the Leo Burnett Co. advertising agency.

Perz originally envisioned the Doughboy as an animated character, but he instead was made three-dimensional, said Maribeth Badertscher, a spokeswoman for The J.M. Smucker Co., which acquired the Pillsbury baking products brands last year. It cost $16,000 to make the original Doughboy out of clay, she said.

The Doughboy was dubbed America's most-loved character in 1987; he was named Toy of the Year in 1972 after a Doughboy doll was introduced. - ap

Dough Links

The Doughboy's Page
Doughfan
Finding your Inner Doughboy
Doughboy Outakes
News of his death greatly preceeds him

John Stage is co-owner of the hugely successful Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse and Rochester, New York. He got into the barbecue business in 1983 when he and his partner, Mike Rotella, sawed a 55-gallon drum in half and took to the road, slinging barbecue at biker swap meets, fairs and festival.

His travels armed him with lots of information and inspiration that he put into action when he opened the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, a genuine honky-tonk blues and rib joint. The menu reflects John's own unique barbecue style that combines traditional pit smoking with distinctive BBQ sauces.

His book, Dinosaur Bar B Que, An American Roadhouse, is the result of years of passion-driven creative cooking, an abiding love of the blues and a staff and clientele who live for barbecue.

And...you can't have a good time at a BBQ without a good dessert.

Dr. Pepper Texas Chocolate Cake

The magic ingredient in theis outrageous two-layer dark chocolate cake is Dr. Pepper, one of America's oldest soft drinks. Dr. Pepper was first made and sold in 1885 at Morrison's Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas. Just like the state it comes from, this cake is big and impressive. The soft drink's carbonation gives the layers exceptional rising power, and its special blend of flavorings makes lickin the beaters especially appealing.

The Cake
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons bakingsodaa
1 cup Dr. Pepper
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

The Frosting
3/4 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup Dr. Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Get the oven heating to 350F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, tapping out any extra flour.

Sift together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa and baking soda into a bowl and set aside. Pour the Dr. Pepper into a saucepan and add the chocolate chips. Heat on low, stirring often, til the chips are just melted. Pull off the heat and set aside.

Combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla in a mixer bowl and mix on medium speed til combined, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the Dr. Pepper chocolate mixture and continue beating til combined, about 1 minute.

Drop the mixer speed back to low and gradually add the dry ingredients. Pop the speed back up to medium and beat 2 minutes more. Divide the batter between the 2 pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or til a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Cool the layers in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and flip the pans over onto a cooling rack. Gently lift off the pans and let the cake layers cool completely.

Whip up the frosting. First drop the shortening and butter into a mixer bowl and beat til soft and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar and cocoa and continue mixing til combined. Stir together the Dr. Pepper and vanilla and very slowly pour it into the frosting, beating with the mixer on high speed to thin it down a bit. Continue beating til light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Set 1 layer, top down, on a good-looking plate. Smear on 1 cup of the frosting. Grab the other layer and slap it on top of the frosted one. Spread the rest of the frosting all over the top and sides of the cake, making attractive swirls. Serve, and accept the compliments.

(more finger licking recipes HERE)