The glorification of Sriracha...

comes in many forms—drenching every meal in my beloved hot sauce, keeping a precious bottle in my room allowing easy access with the swipe of a hand, and incorporating it into my recipes. I particularly love spicy foods in the upcoming warm weather; there’s just something so seductive and passionate about playing with fire. For a dinner with Mickey, I fed the fire with fire and made Spicy Shrimp and Corn Fritters, Chili Bean Paste Toast, and Lychee Mango Mascarpone Cream (to put out the fire).



Fritter mix in the raw.

Spicy Shrimp and Corn Fritters

1/2 cup canned corn
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Sriracha
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup chopped shrimp
Salt
1 egg
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp water
Vegetable oil

Place corn, green onions, chili powder, shrimp, sriracha, garlic, white pepper, salt and egg in a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, and water and mix until just combined. Heat a large pot with 1/8^th inch of oil in the bottom. When the oil is hot, put a large spoonful of batter in the pot. Use a spoon to form little balls. Cook over medium heat just until the bottoms are well colored (4-5minutes). Turn and cook the other side until golden. Serve with Sweet and Spicy Sauce.

Holes filled with egg yolk.



Chili Bean Paste Toast

4 minced garlic cloves
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp Sriracha
1 Tbsp bean paste
1/4 cup chopped portobello
4 sliced potato bread
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Heat skillet on high and quickly cook Portobello in oil. Stir in 1/2 of the chili bean paste. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly spray baking pan. Cut potato bread into a circular shape. Stack two slices of bread together. Hollow out an indentation in each bread slice large enough to hold an egg yolk. Leave a sufficient cushion of bread surrounding the indentation to avoid leakage. Place the bread on prepared baking sheet. Place two egg yolks in each bread indentation. Place the shredded cheddar and spread chili bean paste over the entire slice of bread. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and, using a spatula, place each bread slice on an individual serving plate. Sprinkle the top with scallion garnish.



Lychee Mango Mascarpone Cream

8 ounces mascarpone
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup lychee syrup
1 can lychee
1 cubed mango

Beat mascarpone, sugar, and cream until a nice whipped cream forms. Add in syrup and continue beating until thick. Spoon lychee cream into dishes and top with lychee slivers and cubed mango. Place in refrigerator for about an hour before serving.



This jokester did not enjoy my mascarpone.



Good thing he brought a present. Thanks.

Triumph can...

come from failures as demonstrated by a cranberry fudge turned cranberry-coconut chocolate bread pudding. Surprised much? I was. After I completely bombed a simple fudge recipe, I felt annoyed, no, more like furious. So to compensate, I had to out do myself by making something comforting. And seriously, what is a better comfort food than bread pudding? I guess mother's Chinese food, but still, Southern comfort trumps all.



Soakin' up the sun...



Chocolate Cranberry Bread Pudding

1/2 loaf cubed potato bread
1 cup chocolate fudge sauce
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 beaten eggs
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Messed up Fudge Sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cups sugar
12 ounces evaporated milk
12 oz semisweet chocolate
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup strong coffee

Tear bread into bite-sized chunks and place in a casserole dish. Combine the chocolate cream and buttermilk in a medium saucepan and heat until the mixture bubbles at the edges and remove from heat to cool. Mix cream mixture with eggs and cranberries until combined. Pour the liquid mixture into the dish with the potato bread. Toss to combine and top with more cranberries and shredded coconut. Place the baking pan into the oven and let bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. The mixture will puff a bit and the edges will brown when the pudding is done.

Just one more bite.

This Texan has got to eat…

cornbread once in awhile. The Northeast just never produces quality cornbread and passes off stale, crusty, yellow heaps of who knows what as this Southern dinner table nibbler. All I know is that I love corn especially creamed corn. Corn soup with a touch of egg was always my soup of choice when mother cooked. There is no barbeque today, but the dry heat and sunshine reminded me of home. As a welcoming of warm weather, I shall munch on my cornbread as a snack. Yum.

Tossing all the dry ingredients together.

Cheddar and fresh jalapeños.

Sliced but beautiful nonetheless.



Can't wait to dig in.



Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Bread

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup canned creamed corn
1 egg
1 cup extra-sharp cheddar
Sliced jalapeños

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the creamed corn and egg into the buttermilk. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients, combining well. Mix in cheddar and top with jalapeños before pouring batter into pan. Pour the batter into the butter, smooth out the top if necessary, and place in the oven. Bake about 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown and the sides have pulled away from the pan; a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Serve hot! (Adapted from Homesick Texan)

Nothing beats classy...

lady fingers for a traditional Italian dinner of Pine Nut Shrimp Scampi and a Tiramisu Sandwich.



Layer of coffee dipped lady fingers with fresh mascarpone cream.



Tiramisu Sandwich

1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 package lady fingers
1 cups strong coffee
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Blueberries

Beat sugar and egg yolks together until mixture is pale yellow. Add in mascarpone cheese until mixture is smooth and combined. Beat egg whites until thick and stiff and mix into mascarpone mixture. Dip lady fingers into coffee and arrange them inside a flat dish. Cover cookies layer with cream mixture and continue layering. Dust cocoa powder on top of cream. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

Shrimp Scampi

8 ounces shrimp
1 tsp minced shallots
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 lemon (juice and zest)
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tbsp parsley
2 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz. linguini

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and cook the shrimp until they turn opaque and just pink, about 30 seconds to a minute or so each side. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Return the pan to the stove and add 1 tbsp of butter and the shallots. Cook over medium heat until the shallots are fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the pan, then add the lemon juice, bring it to a boil then take off heat. Off heat, whisk in the remaining tbsp of butter, lemon zest, parsley, pine nuts and red pepper. Add the shrimp and pasta, toss to combine and serve immediately. (Adapted from Food Network).

Tastespotting!

What makes a delicious...

chocolate cake? Try red velvet with cocoa powder and vinegar! In celebration of Kathy's birthday, her requested cake was topped with signs of spring (Gerber Daisies)!

Kathy: I hope you enjoyed your birthday despite the 45 minute apartment oven melt-down (almost). OOPS. We shall continue eating old-fashioned cakes.



Raspberry center, fresh and ready to please.



The finished product surrounded in lady fingers.



Moist, chocolatey, and packed with blueberries.



We lit her a ceremony!



I <3 you.