southern pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw

I love food's ability to build connections and establish moments.  One of my favorite things is asking people to describe their favorite meal. It is the most fun to see a person's eyes shine and watch how with animated gestures they describe their comfort dish -perfect bite- food memory.

In college, a friend from Missouri described this sandwich- tender shredded pork, swimming in a vinegary slightly sweet sauce and piled on a soft roll. I did not grow up with this kind of food and am not much of a meat eater, but her description of this sandwich made me crave it too.

I think this is a perfect summer meal with coleslaw and chips. Nothing too fussy, no pretention, just honest good food. The kind of food I like to serve friends.

Also, this is probably the only coleslaw I would serve friends. I may have coleslaw trauma from childhood (why pineapple? why raisins? and why leaving it in a car for four hours before the potluck?). This salad is straightforward- crisp cabbage, shredded carrot, vinegar spiked mayonaise dressing. It is a nice accompaniment to the pulled pork sandwich and is heaven when piled on top.

The pulled pork recipe is from Everyday Food magazine and the coleslaw is The Barefoot Contessa. 

Southern Pulled Pork Sandwich

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
coarse salt and ground pepper
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 4 equal pieces
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 soft sandwich rolls, split
Store-bought barbeque sauce for serving (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in lower and upper positions. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. (I actually do not think I put that much salt in. If you are more comfortable with less than a tablespoon, feel free to reduce the amount as well.)

2) Place pork in a 5 quart dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot; rub with spice mixture.

3) In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, and 1/2 cup water; pour over pork. Cover pot, and place in oven on lower rack. Bake until pork is very tender and separates easily when pulled with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

4) Moisten shredded pork with the pan juices. When serving, may I recommend potato bread rolls? Their texture seems just right. Also, a varied selection of barbecue sauces along side for topping the sandwiches is fun.

Vegetable Coleslaw

1 pound white cabbage (1/2 small head)
3/4 pound red cabbage (1/2 small head)
5 carrots
2 cups good mayonaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

(The Barefoot Contessa recipe calls for shredding the vegetables in a food processor. As always, I include the original recipe instructions below. However, if you do not have a large food processor, please feel free to do what I do: finely slice the cabbage by knife and then shred the carrots on the large holes of a box grater.)

1) Fit a food processor with the thickest slicing blade. Cut the cabbages into small wedges and place horizontally into the feed tube. Process in batches. Next, fit the food processor with the grating blade. Cut the carrots in half and place in the feed tube so they are lying on their sides. Process in batches and mix in a bowl with the grated cabbages.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, celery seeds, celery salt, salt and pepper.

3) Pour enough of the dressing over the grated vegetables to moisten them. Serve cold or at room temperature.

chocolate ganache cake

I would consider this my go to chocolate cake- the recipe never fails (thank you, Ina), it can be made in advance, and the ganache is to die for. I regularly make this cake for birthday's, including for 75 plus guests at my father's 60th birthday. Probably the height of my commitment to this cake was for my sisters bridal shower. I should preface this by saying that when I got married, my older sister hosted the loveliest most thoughtful bridal shower for me. Additionally, she is ridiculously smart, hardworking and continues to be my biggest cheerleader and most thoughtful friend. So, when she was engaged, I was determined to have a charming party for her. One small obstacle is that I live about a 3 hour plane ride away. I was scheduled to arrive 4 hours before the party and was fully resolved on not having some grocery/warehouse store crisco sugar frosted pink roses cake nightmare (I am just going to say it: I hate those things. I realize that someday when I have kids and they request a batman/spiderman/strawberry shortcake themed cake, I may feel differently, but I will revisit my prejudice then). I made two of these chocolate cakes the day before, wrapped them tightly in plastic wrap, and purchased a cake box from a local bakery to set on my lap during the flight. (It was an early morning flight, and several of my fellow passengers, while sipping cups of coffee, asked me if they could have some of whatever was in the bakery box. They were politely denied). I also made the ganache the day before and poured it into small tupperware containers and stowed them in my carry on suitcase. When I arrived for the party, I simply microwaved the ganache and poured it over the cakes. Totally worth it.
The recipe is from The Barefoot Contessa.

 Chocolate Ganache Cake

1/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 16 oz. can Hershey's chocolate syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 8-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper. (Yes, I know this is a bit tedious, but really fully worth the time investment to avoid that terrible moment when the cake does not come out of the pan.)

2) Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time.

3) Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cake will be tough.

4) Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the pan.

Ganache
(This really is the best stuff ever. A spoonful of it straight from the fridge has been known to change the outlook of entire days.)

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz good semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1) Cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

2) Place the cake upside down on a wire rack and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and sides. You can tilt the rack to smooth the glaze.

3) I generally leave the cake undecorated. However, as you can see from the picture below, a small jumble of blackberries is rather pleasing against the sheen of the ganache. Ina Garten also recommends candied violets or gold leaf.

3) The frosted cake should not be refrigerated. However, unfrosted, the cake will keep well for up to a week when wrapped tightly in plastic and stowed in the fridge. I would not recommend making the ganache too far in advance, as small spooned out scoops tend to stealthily dwindle the amount of ganache in direct proportion to the length of time it is left in the fridge.

cream cheese poundcake

This is the cake that I make most often and is probably my favorite recipe. Whenever I make this cake, I think of my mother and sisters. I almost always make it when they visit, as it keeps well over a few days and is just perfect for breakfast or a mid-day snack.
It is charming in an Anne Shirley-y sort of way. To me it is the perfect pound cake as the cream cheese helps keep it dense without being dry (a crime too many pound cakes commit). It is vanilla scented heaven and brilliant with any variety of berry sauce (raspberry coulis, fresh sliced strawberries, stewed blueberries etc...). If the need to dress it up arises, one can certainly add a glaze but mostly I think it is swell the way it is.
The recipe is from a friend who taught me all kinds of things about entertaining, hosting, and being gracious. She served this cake at afternoon tea parties. I believe it is originally from a cookbook that was a collection of bed and breakfast recipes.

Cream Cheese Poundcake

1 8 ounce package cream cheese (room temperature)
3 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Note: do not preheat the oven. This recipe calls for placing the cake in a cold oven.

1) Butter and flour a standard size bundt cake pan.

2) Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Beat in sugar.

3) Alternately add 2 eggs, 1 cup flour until all are added. Blend in the vanilla. The batter will be a lovely pale yellow and rather thick. Pour and spoon the batter into the pre-greased bundt pan. Take care to level the batter out.

4) Place in a cold oven. Bake at 300 degrees for 90 minutes.

5) When it is finished baking it may still look a little stick on top. It's fine. The bottom (or top in this case) will always be a little sticky and my husband swears it's the best part of the cake.

6) Let the cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Then run a butter knife around the edges and pay special attention to the center as the cake seems to rise and get a bit stuck around it. After 30 minutes, flip out on to a wire rack to cool.

This cake will keep for several days if wrapped well and left at room temperature.

banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

I had a long discussion the other day with a friend about how cupcakes and adorable cupcake shops have become really popular. We wondered if cupcake shops were the new frozen yogurt. (Which before that frozen yogurt was the new marble slab ice cream shop which was the new krispy kreme donut which was the new coffee shop which I think was actually the new frozen yogurt shop from the first time around, etc). This made us worry that our cupcake trend would shortly be going away. (It is good to know that with mounting national debt, health care debate worries, and double digit nationwide unemployment, we can still find time to talk about really important things.)
But I do not think cupcakes are going any where. One of the things I think is great about a cupcake is that it allows experimentation with flavors that would really not work on a whole cake. As exhibit A, I submit this banana cupcake with peanut butter frosting. It is just enough without being cloying or overwhelming. As with cupcakes in general, it hits that great nostalgic note.
The cupcake recipe is from Martha Stewart. The frosting is from Ina Garten. Ina's original recipe was to put the peanut butter frosting on chocolate cupcakes. A grand idea. I think it found it's true match with the banana cupcakes. When I proposed the combination to my husband he shrugged his shoulders in disinterest. However, the next day, he ate four of them. Long live the cupcake !

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Banana Cupcakes
makes 28 cupcakes

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
4 very ripe large bananas, mashed (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1) Preheat oven to 350 degress. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

2) Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl: cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix the following wet ingredients together: mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla.

3) Cream butter and brown sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

4) Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet ingredients and ending with dry. Scrape sides of bowl. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.

5) Bake cupcakes until testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Cupcakes with keep, covered, for up to 3 days.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

1) Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

2) Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work.

3) Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

4) Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

scones

When we were children, my sisters and I loved to play tea party. (That is not a completely true statement since we still love to play tea party. ) We had lovely little tea sets hand painted with forget-me-not flowers and with our friends we would dress up and pretend to be proper (or our version of what we thought proper was.)
Scones never made an appearance at those early parties (I actually cannot recall what our menus consisted of) but for me a fresh baked scone with tea is pretty close to perfection. When my sisters and I go out to tea now, one of the things I look forward to are the scones. Yes, there are some sugary sweet delights to be had at all kinds of coffee houses, but they are nothing in comparison to the buttery, light, flaky heaven that these are. These scones are in the "British style" because they do not have a glaze. I promise, you won't miss it.
The recipe below is from the magazine Everyday Food. I believe it originally appeared around Thanksgiving which is why the recipe calls for fresh cranberries. They are quite good in a scone, but please feel free to substitute other dried or fresh berries depending on your mood and the season. My recent favorite is dried wild blueberries with a little lemon zest. The scones pictured were made with dried cherries.
As with so many recipes I love, these scones can be completely made the night before up to the baking stage. This makes it easy for oven warm scones for tea time (or breakfast or a nice morning treat for deserving co-workers).

Cranberry Scones

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for work surface
5 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for topping
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup half-and-half, plus 1 tablespoon for topping
1/2 cup halved cranberries, drained on paper towels

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2) Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

3) Stir in 2/3 cup half-and-half until just moistened. Gently fold in cranberries.

4) On a lightly floured surface , knead dough gently, 5 to 10 times. Pat into a 1 inch thick round. Cut into 8 wedges. Place on a baking sheet, 2 inches apart. (If making in advance, this is where I pause: place the scones on a baking sheet, wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready for baking.)
5) Brush tops with remaining tablespoon half-and-half; sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. (I like to use sugar in the raw instead of regular granulated sugar to give the top a nice shimmery crunch. Also, if the scones have been in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, I usually add a couple of minutes to the bake time).

scalloped potatoes

These potatoes are the comfort food for my husband. For those of us who have only ever had the box dehydrated scalloped potatoes, they are a kind of revelation. Layers of thinly sliced potatoes surrounded in a faintly onion scented sauce-so lovely and really pretty simple. It is this recipe that taught me how to make simple white sauce and I have found it useful as a base in all kinds of casseroles, pasta and au gratin dishes.

It is great alongside holiday ham but also a helpful way to stretch leftovers. Just layer in diced ham along with the potatoes. The recipe is from Betty Crocker's Best Loved Recipe Cookbook.

Scalloped Potatoes

6 medium boiling or baking potatoes (2 lbs)
3 tablespoons butter (I actually think 4 tablespoons is perfect)
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and side of 2 quart casserole with shortening.

2) Scrub potatoes; peel if desired. Cut into enough thin slices to measure about 4 cups.

3) Melt 3 tablespoons butter in 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

4) Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.

5) Stir in milk. (Stir in slowly to incorporate and make a smooth mixture. If the milk is poured in all at once, the sauce can become lumpy.) Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.

6) Spread potatoes in casserole. Pour sauce over potatoes. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter. (I layer the potatoes and sauce kind of like I'm making lasagna. If I'm adding diced ham, it is another layer in this process).

7) Cover and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Because of demand, I can safely say I have always doubled (or tripled or quadrupled) this recipe. If doubling the recipe, I do recommend keeping it split into two baking dishes. If one baking dish is used for a double recipe, it has to bake for about 25 minutes longer and the bottom gets a tad more cooked than is generally cared for.

chocolate birds nests

Frankly, these are just adorable. They are easy peasy, chocolaty adorableness. They are obviously an excellent choice for Easter celebrations and can do double duty as both table decoration and dessert. However, I think that they could be equally charming at an appropriately themed baby shower.
The colored chocolate shell egg candies are made by Cadbury and are my all time favorite Easter candy. I love the way the robins egg blue looks with chocolate, but feel free to not be limited by my own color obsessions.
I have to give credit where credit is due and acknowledge that the gift bag presentation below was my husbands idea for how I could use up the extra non-blue candy eggs. I put a layer of the chocolate eggs at the bottom of a cellophane bag and then placed the chocolate bird nest on top. They turned out pretty stinkin' cute.

Chocolate Bird Nests

1 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 1/2 cups chow mein noodles

1) Place the chocolate chips in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Add the peanut butter and stir again. Microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes until the chocolate and peanut butter are melted and smooth.

2) Add the chow mein noodles to the chocolate/peanut butter mixture. Stir to coat noodles.

3) Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper. Drop large spoonfulls of the chocolate noodle mixture onto the waxed paper. Shape each mound lightly with the spoon (or fingers) into a nest shape.
Place the chocolate eggs into the nests.

4) Let set, uncovered, for several hours (over night is best) until the chocolate hardens. If storing, be sure to place wax paper between layers.


Note: I am aware that these days quite a number of people have peanut allergies. The peanut butter can easily be left out.