Tag: Food

Dorie Greenspan: Marveling at the petites merveilles on a Paris street corner

Desserts, Dorie Greenspan

Bonjour! Bonjour!

I love getting Dorie Greenspan’s wonderful newsletters which read like an email from a special friend (I wish) and this one from November is a marvel. Enjoy!

From Dorie:

“I always say that I’m best self when I’m home in Paris, but if that’s true, then my best self can be pretty grumpy. The other morning, I woke up, looked out the window and grumbled and railed against what I had no control over: The weather. It was raining. Again. It was also 7-something in the morning, so it was dark — the autumn sun comes up late and even though I’ve lived here a long time, it still surprises me. (Soon it won’t get light until almost 9 am.)

“Yet early morning is one of my favorite times to get out — despite the rumble of delivery trucks and the swish of street cleaners’ brooms, it feels quiet, like the city’s stretching and getting in shape for the day. The other morning, out for a croissant run, I turned down the boulevard Saint Germain and into the rue l’Ancienne Comédie, which was mostly dark and quite dreary in the rain. But there, at the end of the short street, as though lowered to earth by some extra-planetary architect, was a spot of brilliance, a twinkle in the morning’s twilight: the bright-as-a-beacon Aux Merveilleux de Fred, a pastry shop that’s new to Saint Germain des Pres.

Sugar Plum Central

“When we moved to Saint Germain des Pres 25 years ago, I dubbed it Sugar Plum Central because everywhere I’d turn, I’d come to a patisserie. Today, I’d have to call it Sugar Plum Universe or Explosion or Abundance. Or maybe just Paradise. I’ve written about some of the shops before and I’ll be writing a lot more about Paris while I’m here for the next month, but here are the names — off the top of my head (and not even in alphabetical order) – of some of the shops that came here after I settled in: Pierre Hermé, Hugo & Victor, Angelina, Ladurée, Arnaud Lahrer, Alain Ducasse (chocolate), Pierre Marcolini (chocolate), Patrick Roger (chocolate), Fou de Patisserie and the shop at the end of the street.

What’s a Merveilleux, Other Than Marvelous?

“A merveilleux is layers of meringue spread with whipped cream, covered with more whipped cream and then rolled around in things delicious and decorative, like chocolate shavings, coconut flakes, cookie bits, coffee crystals or even more meringue. It’s one of those sweets that raises the possibility of alchemy, because nothing else explains why something so basic tastes so good.

The pastry has its roots in Belgium and northern France, but it’s mostly thanks to Frédéric Vaucamps and his beautiful shops that Parisians love them. Also, that they know how they’re made — every shop has a marble counter in the window where the meringues are stacked and covered with swirls of whipped cream and then coated.

From Merveilleux to Little Marvels

“Watching the merveilleux being made in the window is like seeing a recipe come to life. And for someone like me, it’s an irresistible invitation to go home and play around. I made the small cakes with all kinds of fillings, among them peanut butter (not a French favorite) and jam and cookie spread. I covered them in chopped cookies and toasted nuts and even sprinkles. And I renamed them when I put them in BAKING WITH DORIE — I called them Little Marvels and liked that, although the name doesn’t sound nearly as sophisticated as les merveilleux, it does inspire wonder. Also, it’s easier to pronounce!

Marvel away and I’ll see you back here soon.

Little Marvels

GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START

The egg whites: While eggs separate most easily when they’re cold, the whites whip to their most voluptuous volume when they’re at room temperature, so plan ahead: Separate the eggs at least 1 hour before you’ll need them. Also, make sure your mixing bowl and beaters are clean, dry and free of grease – any kind of fat will keep the whites from rising.

Shaping the meringue: It’s best to use the meringue as soon as it’s made, so have your pans ready to go. You can spoon out the meringue for the disks and flatten them with a knife or you can pipe them. Piping’s faster and neater. No matter how you shape the disks, you’ll find it easier to get them even if you make a template.

Size: I’m a miniaturist at heart, so I make individual marvels, but you can use the recipe to make more traditionally sized cakes just as they do at Aux Merveilleux de Fred — think birthday cakes!

Makes 10 cakes

For the meringue

  • 1 cup (200 grams) sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
  • 2 1⁄2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 4 large egg whites, at room temperature (see above)
  • 3⁄4 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (optional)

For the cream

  • 2 cups (480 ml) very cold heavy cream
  • 1⁄4 cup (30 grams) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)

For the spread – choose one

  • Cookie spread, such as Lotus Biscoff
  • Peanut butter
  • Melted chocolate
  • Thick jam

For the outer coating (figure about 2 cups [3 or 4 handfuls] of whichever one you choose)

  • Chocolate shavings (any kind of chocolate)
  • Chopped cookies
  • Coconut, shredded or flaked, sweetened or unsweetened, toasted or not
  • Chopped toasted nuts
  • Chopped meringue
  • Sprinkles

To make the meringues: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 250 degrees F. Using a pencil, draw ten 3-inch circles on each of two sheets of parchment paper; leaving about 2 inches between the circles. Turn the sheets over and use them to line two baking sheets.

Strain the 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and the confectioners’ sugar through a fine-mesh sieve; set aside.

Working in the (clean, dry, grease-free) bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the whites and vinegar on medium-high speed until they form soft peaks, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running, add the remaining 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, waiting a few seconds after each addition. It will take about 5 minutes, maybe even longer, to get all the sugar into the whites, but it’s this slow process that makes pristine meringue.

Once all the sugar is in, beat for 2 minutes or so, until you have stiff, glossy, beautifully white peaks. If you want to add the vanilla, beat it in now.

Switch to a flexible spatula and fold in the reserved sugar mix.

You can spoon the meringues out or shape them with a small icing spatula, but it’s faster and easier to pipe them. Use a pastry bag without a tip, or cut a 1⁄2-to-3⁄4-inch-wide opening in the tip of a disposable piping bag or a bottom corner of a large ziplock bag.

Fill the bag with the meringue and dab a little of it on the four corners of each baking sheet to secure the parchment. Using the circles as your guide, aim to pipe disks that are between 1⁄4 and 1⁄2 inch high, but don’t get nutty about it—the diameter is more important than the height.

Bake the meringues for about 50 minutes. You don’t want the meringues to take on (much) color; they’re properly baked when they peel off the paper easily. Turn off the oven and open the oven door a crack to let out whatever steam may have developed, then close the door and leave the meringues in the turned-off oven for another hour. (You can make the meringues at least a week ahead; just keep them covered and dry.)

To make the whipped cream: Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream just until it begins to thicken a bit. Gradually add the sugar and then the cinnamon, if you’re using it, and beat until the cream is thick enough to use as a frosting. If you’re using vanilla, whip it in now. (The cream can be covered and refrigerated for up to an hour or so.)

To assemble the cakes: If you want to add a spread, coat the top side of half of the meringues with whatever you’ve chosen. Top with whipped cream—you can use a spoon or a cookie scoop to portion out the cream—see what you like, but 2 tablespoons of cream should do it for each cake— then cap each cake with another disk of meringue, flat side up. Using a small icing spatula, frost the tops and sides of the cakes with the remaining whipped cream. The layer doesn’t have to be very thick, just generous enough to capture the crunchies you’ll cover it with. Pop the cakes into the freezer for 10 minutes or the refrigerator for about 1 hour before coating them. (The cakes can stay in the refrigerator for about 5 hours; cover them lightly and keep them away from anything with a strong odor.)

To coat the cakes: Put whatever you’ve chosen as your coating in a shallow bowl or a small tray. One by one, roll the cakes in the coating, getting some of the crunchies around the sides and on the tops. If it’s easier for you, use a spoon—I roll them and use a spoon to help me get a good coating. Refill the bowl as needed. Refrigerate the cakes for an hour, or until you need them. (The cakes can also be frozen for up to 2 months; see Storing.)

Storing: The cakes should be eaten cold, straight from the refrigerator, and preferably on the day that they’re made. However, you can freeze them: Freeze on a tray until solid, then wrap each one well and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can put them in the refrigerator for an hour to defrost, but I think they’re wonderfully delicious—like mini ice cream cakes—still frozen.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Join BAKE AND TELL, Dorie’s very own clubhouse so everyone can bake — and share— together. It has great recipes, riffable ideas & so much to learn from each other.

👋 Say hello to Dorie and share what you’re making on Facebook and Instagram.

📚 You can find more recipes in Dorie’s latest book BAKING WITH DORIE.

Delicious Poke Cakes: 80 Super Simple Desserts with an Extra Flavor Punch in Each Bite

Desserts

In their book, Delicious Poke Cakes: 80 Super Simple Desserts with an Extra Flavor Punch in Each Bite, authors Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore show us how easy it is to make poke cakes. And what is a poke cake? It’s basically a cake where you poke holes in the baked cake and add some extra ingredients.

How easy is that? Super easy.

About the Authors

Roxanne Wyss with Kathy Moore, The Electrified Cooks, are cookbook authors, food consultants, food writers, cooking teachers, and food bloggers, who share their test-kitchen expertise through creative recipes and tips that make cooking easier and more fun. This is their sixteenth cookbook, previous titles include Rice Cooker Revival and The Easy Air Fryer Cookbook for The American Diabetes Association. They teach cooking classes, consult with food and appliance companies, write feature articles and appear on television, including appearances on QVC. Their professional careers in food, spanning over thirty years, now include a popular blog, PluggedintoCooking.com.

Tequila Sunrise Poke Cake

Sunrise paints a graduated array of colors as the deep orange and red fade into yellow. That beautiful view is what gave this historic drink its name. While the drink is as old as the Prohibition era, it became popular in the 1970s when a bar in Sausalito, near San Francisco, reinvented it and traveling musicians from famous rock bands tasted it and helped seal its place in pop culture. The current drink is made of orange juice, grenadine, and tequila—and this cake captures those wonder[1]ful flavors and the striking colors.

  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • 1 (15.25- to 18-ounce) box yellow cake mix
  • Eggs, oil, and water as directed on the cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 (3-ounce) box orange gelatin
  • ¼ cup tequila
  • 3 tablespoons grenadine syrup
  • 1 (8-ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish

with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare and bake the cake according to the package directions for a 9 x 13-inch cake. Place cake on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Poke holes evenly over the baked cake using the tines of a fork.

Place the water in a 4-cup microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave on High (100%) power for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the water comes to a boil. Stir the gelatin into the water until it is dissolved. Stir in the tequila. Pour the gelatin mixture evenly over the cake.

Slowly and evenly drizzle the cake with the grenadine, making a striped design across the cake. Cover and refrigerate the cake for 1 hour. Frost the cake with the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour or up overnight before serving.

Variations

If you prefer to omit the tequila, prepare the gelatin as directed. Stir in ¼ cup cold water and proceed as the recipe directs. If desired, instead of using all water to prepare the cake mix, substitute ¼ cup tequila and ½ cup orange juice for part of the water. Add water, as needed, to equal the required amount of liquid specified on the cake mix box. Proceed as the recipe directs.

Tips

Grenadine is a sweet, red syrup that is often used to flavor cocktails. While it is not a liquor, you will often find it in the grocery store shelved with mixers and supplies for cocktails.

Chocolate and Vanilla Poke ’n’ Tote Cakes

Neat and portable, these luscious chocolate cakes are ready to take to the park, soccer field, or office, or any time you want a dessert to go. They are a winner, and the chocolate cake, topped with a creamy vanilla pudding and then a chocolate glaze, just may remind you of a cream-filled snack cake!

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • ½ cup boiling water
  • 1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2½ cups whole milk
  • 1⁄3 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 (3.4-ounce) box vanilla instant pudding mix

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2½ tablespoons whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Spray 12 (8-ounce) canning jars with nonstick cooking spray. Set the lids and rings aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the boiling water and cocoa powder until smooth; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking pow[1]der, baking soda, and salt. Using a handheld mixer on low speed, beat in the egg, ½ cup of the milk, the oil, vanilla, and cocoa mixture.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl well and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon about ¼ cup of the batter into each prepared jar. Do not cover.

Arrange the jars in a shallow baking pan, leaving about 1 inch between the jars.

Bake for 24 to 28 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. (Do not overbake.)

Place the baking pan with the jars in it on a wire rack and let the cakes cool completely. Poke holes evenly over the baked cakes in the jars using a drinking straw.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and the remaining 2 cups of milk until the pudding is blended. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the pudding over each cake.

Seal each jar with its lid and ring and refrigerate the cakes for 1 hour.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the cocoa powder. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add the milk and vanilla and stir until smooth. The glaze should be thin enough to drizzle off the tip of a spoon.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the Chocolate Glaze over the pudding in each jar. Gently, using the back of a spoon, spread the glaze to cover the pudding completely.

Seal each jar again and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight before serving.

Variations

Poke Cupcakes: Line muffin pans with paper liners. Prepare the batter as directed and spoon it into the pre[1]pared pan, filling each cup about halfway full. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Proceed as the recipe di[1]rects, poking the cakes with a drinking straw, topping with pudding, and spreading the pudding to the edge of the cupcakes. Top with the glaze, gently covering the pudding. Individual Poke Cakes: Instead of canning jars, prepare the individual poke cakes in 8-ounce ovenproof ramekins. Spray the ramekins with nonstick cooking spray, then spoon in the batter, filling ramekins about halfway. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Proceed as the recipe di[1]rects, poking the cakes with a drinking straw, topping with pudding, and spreading the pudding to the edge of the cakes. Top with the glaze, gently covering the pudding.

Crunchy Toffee Poke Cake

Do you need to bring a dessert to the office party, potluck, or bunko night? No wor[1]ries! Bake Crunchy Toffee Poke Cake the day ahead, and you’ve got it covered. This will make the gathering memorable to many, and there won’t be one piece left to carry home. That’s a good thing, right?

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 (15.25- to 18-ounce) German chocolate cake mix
  • 1 (3.9-ounce) box chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2⁄3 cup water
  • ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 (12.25-ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping
  • 1 (8-ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 4 (1.4-ounce) milk chocolate English toffee candy bars

      Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish  with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl using a handheld mixer on low speed, beat together the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well and beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Place the cake on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Poke holes evenly over the baked cake using the handle of a wooden spoon. Let the cake cool completely.

Drizzle three-quarters of the caramel topping into the holes on the cake.

Frost the cake with the whipped topping.

Place the candy bars in a zip-top bag and coarsely crush with a rolling pin or mallet. Sprinkle the candy bars evenly over the cake.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, drizzle the top of the cake with the remaining caramel topping.

Variations

You can substitute caramels and milk for the caramel ice-cream topping.

Combine 1 (14-ounce) package caramels, unwrapped, and ¼ cup whole milk in a microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave on High (100%) power in 30-second intervals, stirring well after each, until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth, making sure not to overcook the caramels.

Pour three-quarters of the caramel mixture into the poked holes in the cake.

Warm the remaining caramel mixture in the microwave on high power for 10 to 15 seconds or until warm.

Drizzle over the cake just before serving.

TIP

If you want to reduce the amount of chocolate, use a white or yellow cake mix in place of the German chocolate cake mix.

Lost Chicagoland Classics: George Diamond Steak House Redux

Chicago restaurants, Historic foodways, Historic Restaurants, Lost Restaurant Found!

In an update to my previous post about George Diamond Steak House and for all those who are into 1950s-style supper clubs and Chicagoland food history, check out this great You Tube post about George Diamond Steakhouse. Back in the day, there were several in the Chicago area including at 630 S. Wabash in the South Loop, Las Vegas, Acapulco, and Antioch (where there was also a George Diamond Golf Course) as well as in Whiting, Indiana.

If you’re thinking how does Whiting, an industrial city on the Indiana-Illinois border fit in with such locations as Vegas, Chicago, and Acapulco–well, consider this–at one time Whiting, now best known as the place where Polish foods are celebrated every year at the Pierogi Fest, one of the top festivals in the U.S. was a major destination for both Chicago and Northwest Indiana residents who enjoyed swank dining and perch dinners. It rocked from the early 1900s to the early 1980s and had such classic places as Phil Smidt’s and Vogel’s. Indeed the latter sold so many frog legs that they started raising their own in nearby Lake George.

And, if you’re really into George Diamond history, Etsy has two of the restaurant’s shot glasses for sale for $145.

For more about vintage restaurants in the Chicagoland area, check out Classic Restaurants of Northwest.Indiana.

Cheesecake Love by Joyce Brubaker

Cheesecake, Chocolate, Desserts, Family & Kids Cooking

“If it doesn’t have cheesecake in it, it should” is the baking motto that Jocelyn Brubaker lives by. Over the years, she has baked thousands of cheesecakes and challenged herself to work cheesecake into any and every dessert for the millions of readers who try and trust the recipes on her blog.

Now, in her debut cookbook, Jocelyn will show you all the wild and wonderful ways you can go beyond traditional cheesecake. You’ll find creative and mouthwatering cheesecake desserts like:

* Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Brownies
* Cookies-and-Cream Cheesecake-Stuffed Strawberries
* Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Cookie Bars
* Marshmallow S’mores Cheesecake
* Apple Crumb Cheesecake Pie

With over 75 delicious recipes, dozens of easy-to-use baking tips, gorgeous color photos, and Jocelyn’s warmth and bubbly personality on every page, this cookbook will become the go-to source for all things cheesecake, perfect for new and experienced bakers alike. With Jocelyn by your side in the kitchen, every dessert can become a blank canvas for a little cheesecake love.

About the Author

JOCELYN BRUBAKER is the baker, photographer, and writer behind the popular blog Inside BruCrew Life, which she started in 2008. Jocelyn’s recipes regularly appear on Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and Cosmopolitan.com, among other sites.

Orange Cream Cheese Cheesecake

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN MAKING THIS ORANGE CREAM CHEESECAKE RECIPE:

  • Make sure you set your cream cheese out ahead of time. It’s so much easier to beat it when it is softened.
  • Toast the macadamia nuts in a skillet for a few minutes, then let them cool before pulsing them in a food processor. Just do not over pulse the nuts, or you will end up with macadamia butter.
  • Place a large baking sheet on the very bottom rack in your oven. Fill it halfway with water and let it heat up. This creates a steam effect as the cheesecake bakes. No water baths ever happen in my kitchen!
  • Do not over mix the cheesecake batter because it will add air bubbles into the batter which could cause cracks as it bakes.
  • When the cheesecake comes out of the oven the second time, let it cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge. This loosens the cheesecake from the pan, so it doesn’t crack as it cools.

For the Crust:

  • 1 ½ cups chopped macadamia nuts
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ½ cup melted butter

For the Cheesecake

  • 1 – 10 ounce can mandarin oranges
  • 3 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 3 eggs, beaten slightly
  • Zest of 1 large navel orange

For the Topping

  • 1 ½ cups sour cream
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed navel orange juice (from orange that was zested)
  • 1 – 8 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed
  • maraschino cherries with stems, patted dry
  • 1 navel orange cut into small segments
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
  2. Place the macadamia nuts in a skillet and toast over medium heat for a few minutes. Remove and dump the nuts onto a tray to cool completely. Once cool place the nuts in a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Do not over pulse and create butter.
  3. Mix together the chopped nuts, crumbs, and butter. Press firmly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool.
  4. Place a large baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven and fill it halfway with water. Let the oven reheat to 350 degrees.
  5. Drain the can of mandarin oranges very well. Place the orange segments onto paper towels to drain even more. Cut each segment in half and press with a paper towel. Set aside.
  6. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the sour cream, orange juice concentrate, vanilla, and flour and beat again.
  7. Add the eggs and beat again until mixed in. Do not over beat the mixture. Gently stir in the orange zest and mandarin orange pieces.
  8. Pour the batter onto the prepared crust. Place the pan on the oven rack directly above the pan of water. Bake for 55 minutes.
  9. While the cheesecake is baking, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, and orange juice. Place in refrigerator.
  10. When the cheesecake is finished baking, remove from the oven and spread the sour cream mixture evenly on the top of the cheesecake. Bake another 5 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack.
  11. Let the cheesecake cool 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen the sides from the pan. Let the cheesecake cool for 2 hours on the wire rack, then place it in the refrigerator to chill completely.
  12. Loosen and remove the springform pan sides. Gently lift up the cheesecake and remove the parchment paper. Place the cheesecake on a serving plate.
  13. Use a piping bag and icing tip 1M to swirl Cool Whip around the top of the cheesecake. Top each swirl with a maraschino cherry or orange piece.

Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

Crust

  • 8 Oreo cookies with filling
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Cheesecake

  • 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ▢4 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate melted
  • 2 large eggs

Mousse

  • 1 8-ounce package cream cheese room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip thawed

20 mini Oreo Cookies with Filling

Instructions

Place a large rimmed baking sheet onto the bottom rack of the oven. Fill halfway with waterPreheat the oven to 350° F. and line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Line 8 wells of a second cupcake pan with paper liners as well.

Crust

Place the Oreo cookies into a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs.

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and the cookie crumbs. Evenly distribute the crumb mixture into the cupcake liners. Press the crumbs down firmly.

Cheesecake

In a mixer, beat the cream cheese until creamy. Scrape down the sides and add the sugar. Beat again until smooth.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat again until well incorporated.

Pour in the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Fully incorporate the eggs and be sure to not overbeat the batter.

Evenly distribute the batter over the cookie crusts. Place the cupcake pans on the oven right directly above the tray full of water. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecakes in the pan for 10 minutes.

Gently remove the cheesecakes from the pan and place them on the wire rack. Cool for 1 hour and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until completely chilled.

Mousse

Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Scrape down the sides and add the sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

In a food processor, pulse the 7 regular size Oreos until they are crumbs.

With a rubber spatula, gently fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture. Then gently stir in the cookie crumbs.

Using a piping bag and a 1M icing tip, swirl the mousse onto the top of the cheesecakes. Top each one with a mini Oreo cookie.

12 Great Ways to Celebrate the Holidays at the Sonoma Coast Villa, Resort and Spa

California, California Wine, Holiday Travel, Resort, Resorts, winery

As the air turns crisper, so does the wine and nothing pairs better with the holidays than the hospitality of California wine country at Sonoma Coast. Sipping wine, enjoying cheeses, and sitting by the fire with good company is the ideal way to get in the holiday spirit. Sitting on 60-acres of wine country, guests of the resort can enjoy the spa, restaurant, and nearby attractions such as Sonoma Coast State Beach, Bodega Marine Library, Sonoma Wine Country and more.

The Tuscan-style property features limestone fireplaces and vaulted ceilings among acres of rolling hills just five miles east of Bodega Bay in the Russian River Valley area of Sonoma County that will make you want to cozy up just in time for the winter. Come take advantage of the rich coastal and redwood forest landscape, the authentic California farming culture, and the region’s deep-rooted wine culture this holiday season.

Unique, complimentary activities at Sonoma Coast include heading to the dunes to catch some fresh crab, taking a midday picnic by horseback through local mustard grasses to the nearby giant redwoods, enjoying a charcuterie plate assembled with local cheeses by the fire, barbecue fresh-caught oysters beachside, a custom Russian River wine tour, or even a little grape stomping. Start your day with a breakfast buffet offered daily with fresh farm to table selections and rise with the sun on Saturday mornings during yoga class to get centered, clear your mind, and find your calm before you start the day.

By the Numbers

100: There are over 100 wineries and 50 tasting rooms within a thirty minute drive on Sonoma Coast and over 475 wineries within an hour’s drive.

8: Minutes to drive from Sonoma Coast Villa & Spa to Bodega Bay.

60: Acres in the beautiful rolling hills of Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.

Wine O’Clock

Gather together or on your own, watch the sun set and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and cookies. After all, it’s that special Sonoma time called Wine O’Clock. Don a jacket or a comfy sweater and sit by the outdoor firepit nightly for s’mores, hot cocoa and popcorn while enjoying vintage and holiday classic movies under a night sky lit by stars and a silvery moon. Is there a better way to celebrate the holidays then with good times, wine, food, locale, and accomodations? We think not.

About Sonoma Coast Villa, Resort, & Spa

Five miles east of Bodega Bay, Sonoma Coast was originally a horse and gun club for the owners of the Blue Boar restaurant in San Francisco in the 1970s and then converted into a vacation retreat in 1982. Now being reimagined by Auric Road which specializes in petite resorts in honoring historic properties, indulging in our love for culture and adventure (think kayaking, hiking, biking, star-gazing, horseback riding, beachcombing, wine tours, and eating local), the 18 rooms in this Tuscan-style villa can be booked as can the one private four-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot house. Other Auric Road petite resorts include Hotel Joaquin in Laguna Beach, California, Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky, Montana, Korakia Pensione in Palm Springs, California, and Rex Ranch in Amado, Arizona.

Upright Oatmilk: The New Expert-Approved Milk Alternative That Is Just As Nutritious As Dairy

Coffee

Remember when there were only three kinds of milk—chocolate, white, and strawberry? And they all came from a cow? Well, it’s a different world now when it comes to milk products. You can choose between such milks as soy, nut milks like cashew and almond, and oat. You could make your own, but it’s a long process and so if you’re feeling lazy or just don’t want to bother there’s a great alternative and that’s Upright Oatmilk, a brand that advertises itself as being even better than just plain oats because it contains 25% of recommended daily value per serving for calcium, 15% of Vitamins A, B12, and D, 1 gram prebiotic fiber, and 8 grams oat protein per serving.

Made with just oats and a blend of key vitamins and minerals, Upright Oatmilk is naturally gluten-free and hypoallergenic. What it doesn’t have is equally important and that includes no dairy, eggs, gluten, wheat, nuts, seeds, soy, peas, sesame, corn, oils, gums, emulsifiers, carrageenan, artificial flavors or colors.

The makers of Upright worked with world-leading pediatricians and food scientists to develop our uniquely allergen-free and high-nutrient oatmilk to support heart, gut, and whole-body health.

It’s powder and comes in three flavors—vanilla, chocolate, and original unsweetened.

Normally I don’t like powders because they’re often lumpy but this one, after you add water, comes out smooth. You can drink it as is, use it for smoothies, soups, or as a one-to-one liquid substitute in baking and cooking.

The following recipes are courtesy of Allright Food

 Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

  • 2 shots espresso
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 3/4 sachet Upright Instant Oatmilk Original
  • 1 1/2 cups ice
  • Cinnamon

Make your espresso. Add in brown sugar and shake for 20 seconds.
Add in ice and oatmilk and shake again.
Pour into a glass and add a dash of cinnamon.

Butternut Squash Soup

  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons margarine
  • 1 sachet of Vanilla Upright High-Protein Instant Oatmilk
  • 6 cups butternut squash, chopped
  • 3½ cups chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon marjoram
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground chili pepper
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
  • Pumpkin seeds

Saute the onions with margarine in a saucepan.

Add the chopped squash, chicken broth, black pepper, sachet of Upright instant oatmilk, and chilli pepper and bring to a boil.

Cook for 20 minutes, or until the squash becomes tender.

Mix the squash and cream cheese to a smooth consistency using a hand blender. Return to saucepan and heat through.

Pour the soup into a bowl and top with pumpkin seeds for garnish.

Upright Oatmilk Pineapple Smoothie

  • 2 cups of cut pineapple cubes
  • 1 sachet of Vanilla Upright High-Protein Instant Oatmilk
  • 1 cup of ice

    Blend everything together, pour into a cup, and enjoy.

Upright Oatmilk Smoothie

  • 1 handful of strawberries
  • 1 handful of blueberries
  • 1 handful of blackberries
  • 1 sachet of Vanilla Upright High-Protein Instant Oatmilk
  • 1 cup of ice

Pour in the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, Vanilla Upright Instant Oatmilk, and ice cubes into a blender.

Blend for 30-45 seconds.

Pour smoothie into a cup.

Exploring the Food of the Italian South with Katie Parla

Historic foodways, Italian Cuisine


U Pan Cuott. Photo credit Ed Anderson.

It’s personal for Katie Parla, award winning cookbook author, travel guide and food blogger who now has turned her passion for all things Italian to the off-the-beaten paths of Southern Italy, with its small villages, endless coastline, vast pastures and rolling hills.
“Three of my grandmother’s four grandparents are from Spinoso, deep in a remote center of Basilicata,” says Parla, the author of the just released Food of the Italian South: Recipes for Classic, Disappearing Lost Dishes (Clarkson Potter 2019; $30).

Katie Parla in Southern Italy. Photo credit Ed Anderson.


Parla is a journalist but she’s also a culinary sleuth, eager to learn all about foodways as well as to chronicle and save dishes that are quickly disappearing from modern Italian tables. She’s lived in Rome since graduating with a degree from Yale in art history and her first cookbook was the IACP award winning Tasting Rome. She’s also so immersed herself in Italian cuisine that after moving to Rome, she earned a master’s degree in Italian Gastronomic Culture from the Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”, a sommelier certificate from the Federazione Italiana Sommelier Albergatori Ristoratori, and an archeological speleology certification from the city of Rome.



In tiny Spinoso, Parla and her mother checked into one of the few available rooms for rent and went to office of vital statistics to find out more about family history.
“We made the mistake of getting there before lunch,” she says. “You could tell they really want to go home and eat. They told us there were only four or five last names in the village and since ours wasn’t one of them, then we couldn’t be there.”



But Parla found that sharing wine with the officers soon produced friendlier results (“wine and food always does that in Italy,” she says) and after leafing through dusty, oversized ledgers written in fading, neat cursive they were able to locate the tiny house where her grandfather had lived as well as other extensive family history.
“Thank goodness for Napoleon, who was really into record keeping, no matter his other faults” says Parla.

Katie Parla. Photo credit Ed Anderson.


Many of her ancestors were sheepherders, tending sheep, staying with a flock for a week in exchange for a loaf of bread. This poverty was one reason so many Southern Italians left for America. But it also is the basis for their pasta and bread heavy cuisine says Parla.
To capture the flavors of this pastoral area, Parla visited restaurants and kitchens, asking questions and writing down recipes which had evolved over the centuries from oral traditions.
Describing Rome, Venice and Florence as “insanely packed,” Parla believes that those looking for a less traveled road will love Southern Italy, an ultra-authentic region to the extent that in Cilento, for example, there are more cars than people on the road.



“There’s all this amazing food,” she says. “But also, there’s all this unspoiled beauty such as the interior of Basilicata. And the emptiness, because so many people are gone, creates this sense of haunted mystery. It’s so special, I want people to understand the food and to visit if they can.”


For more information, visit katieparla.com

Recipes

’U Pan’ Cuott’
Baked Bread and Provolone Casserole

Serves 4 to 6
1 pound day-old durum wheat bread (I like Matera-style; see page 198), torn into bite-size pieces
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
7 ounces provolone cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon peperoni cruschi powder or sweet paprika
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon peperoncino or red pepper flakes
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt


Overview:


In Bernalda, a town in Basilicata best known as the ancestral village of Francis Ford Coppola, there are many ancient bread traditions. The town isn’t far from the durum wheat fields of the Murgia plateau and the famous bread towns Matera and Altamura. One of the town’s classic dishes is ’u pan’ cuott’ (Bernaldese dialect for pane cotto, “cooked bread”). Families would bake stale slices of Bernalda’s enormous 3-kilogram loaves with whatever food scraps they could find, resulting in a savory, delicious bread casserole bound by gooey bits of melted provolone. Use the crustiest durum bread you can find or bake.


Method:

Preheat the oven to 475°F with a rack in the center position.


Place the bread in a colander, rinse with warm water, and set aside to soften. The bread should be moistened but not sopping wet.


In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, provolone, peperoni cruschi, garlic, oregano, peperoncino, and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Season with salt.


When the bread crusts have softened, squeeze out any excess liquid and add the bread to the bowl with the tomato mixture. Stir to combine.


Grease a baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, pour in the tomato mixture, and drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on top. Bake until the top is heavily browned, and the provolone has melted, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.


Spezzatino all’Uva
Pork Cooked with Grapes

Serves 6 to 8
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, salted and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 cup dry red wine (I like Aglianico del Vulture)
2 bay leaves
4 cups pork stock or water
1 bunch of red grapes (I like Tintilia grapes), halved and seeded

Overview:
The foothills east of the Apennines in Molise grow Tintilia, an indigenous red grape known for its low yield and pleasant notes of red fruit and spices. Each year, the majority of the harvested grapes are pressed to make wine, with the remainder reserved for jams and even savory dishes like this pork and grape stew, which is only made at harvest time. The slight sweetness of the grapes mingles beautifully with the savory pork and herbaceous notes of the bay leaves. Salt the pork 24 hours in advance.


Method:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the pork, working in batches as needed, and cook, turning, until it is browned on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the pork and set aside on a plate.


Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic and cook until just golden, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the alcohol aroma dissipates and the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes, add the bay leaves. Return the pork to the pan. Add enough stock so the meat is mostly submerged and season with salt.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 1½ hours more, until the pork is fork-tender. Add the grapes at the 1 ¼ hour mark and continue cooking until they are tender. If the sauce becomes too dry, add a bit more stock (you may not need all the stock). Serve immediately. 

Photo credit: Ed Anderson

12 Great Reasons to Visit Lancaster, Ohio This Holiday Season

Adventure, Christmas, Holiday Travel

A new post by award winning travel writer Kathy Witt, author of Cincinnati Scavenger; Secret Cincinnati: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful & Obscure; The Secret of the Belles; and Atlanta, Georgia: A Photographic Portrait.

A new Christmas event based on a German tradition. The largest nativity display east of the Mississippi. And Mike, Carol and the “whole bloomin’ Brady Bunch.” See them all this holiday season on Fairfield County’s Tinsel and Traditions Trail in the Pressed Glass Capital of Ohio – Lancaster – once the world headquarters for the Anchor Hocking Glass Company.

Play

See the grooviest Christmas toys, togs and traditions around at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio at A Very Brady Holiday, part of A Storybook Christmas exhibit, on display through December 31. From Carol Brady’s mod Grand Canyon pantsuit to the Brady Kids’ 1970 album, “Merry Christmas from the Brady Bunch,” to Greg’s fringed Johnny Bravo costume, you’ll step into a time capsule of seventies flower power.

See the Rock’em Sock’em Robots, original Barbie, an Etch A Sketch and other iconic toys and boardgames from the past piled beneath the aluminum tree with color wheel illumination. The exhibit also features 1950s-era pop-up books, vintage Christmas cards and ornaments from beloved storybooks and shows, including “The Wizard of Oz” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Christmas shopping highlights along the Tinsel and Traditions Trail are distinctive and diverse. One-of-a-kind glasswork and barware at Gay Fad Studios, which tells the story of legendary glassware artist and entrepreneur Fran Taylor, who made her mark in the 1930s and 1940s, is stunning and affordable. Loosely translated, the studio’s name means fun, happy designs – and the new and vintage mid-century-inspired glassware, stemware and gifts are all that and more.

If candymaker Alice DuBois seems more like a kid in a candy store, chalk it up to the Candy Cottage owner’s irrepressible love of her job. DuBois is happy to help visitors choose from among the small-batch chocolates made onsite, novelty treats and holiday goodies – for yourself or as gifts. A coffee bar was recently added, and a cappuccino or latte sipped with the confectioner’s dark chocolate buttercreams is a sublime experience.

The Humble Crate is a veritable makers market of handcrafted gift items from more than 70 Ohio artists: soft and sweet baby afghans, original hand-painted snowman creations, Smelly Jellies scented soy candles, hats and fingerless gloves by But First, Crochet, aromatic Kampfire Coffee and more. You could find the perfect gift for everyone on your list with one visit to this hodgepodge of homespun.

Trail experiences include the holiday classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” on Dec. 1, 2 and 3; the month-long Fontanini Nativity Display at the Crossroads Ministry Center, with life-size figurines made in Italy set in a finely detailed Neapolitan-style nativity featuring temple ruins in place of a traditional stable; and several Christmas tree farms with both pre-cut and cut-your-own firs and pines, and offering an array of extras like hot chocolate and crafts, petting zoo and horse-drawn wagon rides.

Eat

Crisscrossing the Tinsel and Traditions Trail is Fairfield County’s 12 coffee shop-strong Java Trail. Bring the little ones to the family-friendly Well and sip a deliciously fragrant turmeric chai latte from a comfy nook while the kids romp in a four-level playhouse. Pair an espresso at Provisions Bakery & Deli with its no one-can-eat-just-one chocolate chip cookies – and pick up a good cab from the shop’s wall of wine for enjoying later.

Slip behind a case filled with t-shirts and other souvenirs and into the secret game room and workspace hidden beyond at L-City, where you can grab a macchiato and pastry. Across the hall is the Downtown Bistro & Bar 123, a favorite gathering place serving salmon and sirloin, burgers and small bites in a casual, comfortable setting. Located in a historic, circa 1940s hotel in the heart of downtown Lancaster, the bistro is known for a staff that feels more like visiting with old friends.

Treat

A new holiday event makes its debut in Lancaster on December 1: The Advent Window Walk features 24 consecutive Big Reveals of brilliantly colored holiday scenes lighting up the windows of two dozen grand and gracious homes in Lancaster’s Square Thirteen Historic District. Think of it as a large-scale advent calendar, with a new window lighting up each successive night during the countdown to Christmas.

The brainchild of resident Joseph Taylor, who will flip the switch on his home’s window on Christmas Eve, the Advent Window Walk was inspired by similar Christmas events in Europe –  and just might be the only one of its kind in the United States.

Event

On New Year’s Eve, Lancaster celebrates its glass heritage with the Glass Town Countdown, a family-friendly street party held downtown at Zane Square and followed by a fireworks show. The centerpiece of the event is the Giant Glass Globe, which is raised rather than lowered, and comprises hundreds of hand-blown glass ornaments, each individually hand-painted. Prior to New Year’s Eve, the Giant Glass Globe may be seen inside the Ohio Glass Museum, which offers glassblowing classes for those wishing to create their own glass ornaments.

If You Go

For more information about things to see and do on Lancaster’s Tinsel and Traditions Trails and the Glass Town Countdown New Year’s Eve celebration, visit www.visitfairfieldcounty.org or download the Visit Fairfield County app (iPhone, Android) and find shopping, attractions, activities, accommodations, restaurants and more.

Recipes

Christmas cookies and Christmas candy. Is there anything sweeter during the holidays? Here are two recipes from Fairfield County’s Tinsel and Traditions Trail.

Provisions Bakery & Deli Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 C packed light brown sugar
  • 2/3 C granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 12 oz chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to medium and add flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips with rubber spatula.

Using a tablespoon, scoop 12 heaping scoops of cookie dough 2 inches apart on lined baking trays. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool and serve. Makes a dozen cookies.

The Candy Cottage Buckeye Candy

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Parkay margarine
  • 2 cup peanut butter
  • 1 1/2 lb. powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 lb. milk or semisweet chocolate flavored coating

Instructions

Cream margarine and peanut butter. Add vanilla. Stir in powdered sugar, a cup at a time until consistency is not sticky.

Roll in 1 1 /2-inch balls or use cookie scoop for consistent size. Dip with a toothpick into melted chocolate coating. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.

Pinch to cover hole made by toothpick. Place into paper cups and serve. Makes about 90 pieces.

About Guest Blogger Kathy Witt

Writer and author Kathy Witt is a member of SATW Society of American Travel Writers and the Authors Guild

She is the author of Secret Cincinnati; The Secret of the Belles; Atlanta, GA: A Photographic Portrait

NEW: Cincinnati Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for Cincinnati’s Hidden Treasures arriving October 2022.

NEW: Perfect Day Kentucky: Daily Itineraries for the Discerning Traveler arriving Fall 202

Indulge in the Best of the Black Forest Spa Experiences

Historic foodways, Holiday Travel

SouthWest Germany is a place where you can escape to beautiful scenery, historic palaces, gardens, restorative spas, top restaurants, and elegant overnights. It is a perfect destination to relax before the holidays, or simply to get some well-earned rest and relaxation. The Black Forest Highlands offer miles and miles of well-signposted trails for hiking and biking with charming inns and restaurants and extraordinary scenic views along the way. Gardens and palaces in SouthWest Germany offer soothing landscapes and beauty that take you away to another world. Spas offer restorative experiences from the actual treatments to the beautiful and calm towns and environments where they are located. The hotel options are varied from exquisite five star superior overnights to charming pensions, all of them reasonably priced in their respective categories.

Climactic Health Resorts, Forest Bathing, Herb Paths

“The most you’ll get from walking is blisters,” a herding boy would have said. That his rough path to work would one day become a pleasure trail? Unimaginable. Today in the Black Forest, there is hiking on well signposted, certified “Premium Hiking Region” (German Hiking Institute) trails; invigorating mountain climate with 7 state-recognised climatic health resorts; excellent local cuisine and local specialities, relaxing and regeneration in excellent wellness hotels. With forest bathing, herb, and pleasure trails, you walk through the forest mindfully – smelling, hearing and feeling. Your stress levels plummet. The 3 medicinal herb trails also lead you to contemplate and reflect, while the 17 high-altitude climate trails are invigorating. There are also the 14 certified “pleasure” trails: These particularly beautiful circular tours are 2 to 7 miles long, offer authentic places to stop off and many an insight into regional culture and history from the Black Forest Highland sheep path to the steep and arduous cliff walk. Black Forest Highlands

The Black Forest Highlands Serves Up Delicious Local Fare, Offers Brewing Workshops

The Black Forest Highlands offers many opportunities to taste the local and delicious fare while you are out and about on your walks exploring the countryside. There are 25 nature park hosts who cook seasonally and consciously use regional ingredients from the Black Forest Nature Park for their creations. Along your way, you come across rest areas, restaurants, country inns, and mountain huts that serve the regional food. There are also herb hikes and tasting with the herb woman near St. Märgen as well as cooking courses in Alpersbach.

Of course the original Black Forest cake is served in every good café and restaurant. You can even watch the production, and participate in a tasting in the Café & Schnapshäusle zum gscheiten Beck in Bärental-Feldberg. Another great tour and tasting includes the Rothaus brewery which includes an entire experience and even has its own inn in Grafenhausen. Close by in Bärental-Feldberg Rogg’s organic craft beer is tapped at the brewery inn and offers workshops where you can brew your own beer with a master brewer.Black Forest Highlands

Healing Waters in Baden-Baden

Every day, over 210,000 gallons of thermal water bubble up from the ground in Baden-Baden, and it is still up to 150 degrees hot. On its way from a depth of 6,500 feet to the earth’s surface, it takes minerals with it: Sodium, chloride, fluorine, lithium, silicic acid and boron. It is these substances to which we owe the healing effect. Whether heart and circulation problems, metabolic disorders or respiratory diseases: The healing power of Baden-Baden’s springs promotes well-being and recovery. In addition, the thermal water, due to its warmth and ingredients, provides blood circulation to your muscles, joints and skin. 

In the Roman times, Baden-Baden was simply called Acquae, the waters. Then in the Middle Ages, the town received the name Baden. In the 16th century, to differentiate it from towns of the same name (Baden in Switzerland and Baden near Vienna), the double name Baden-Baden (Baden was also the name of the principality at the time) was given and it became official in 1931. Today, you can visit the Roman style, textile-free Friedrichsbad or the contemporary Caracalla spa to indulge in the treatments, the waters, and to gain a sense of well-being, rest, restoration. Each spa is open to the public. What makes Baden-Baden so unusual too is the beautiful resort town is a cultural destination with world class performances, museums, and beautiful parks and gardens. Baden-Baden

Hotel Dollenberg in the Black Forest Offers Outstanding Year-Round Spa Experience

The Hotel Dollenberg in the Black Forest is one of the most luxurious 5-Star Superior hotel experiences you can have any time of the year and it offers top-notch, panoramic views of the Black Forest from its mountain peak. Recently it has opened its award-winning Dollina Wellness & Spa to day visitors, in addition to hotel guests. It offers one of the largest spa areas covering about 15,000 square feet, including six pools, including mineral water and brine pools, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a whirlpool, and a mountain lake. For over five decades, Hotel Dollenberg, located in picturesque has Bad Peterstal-Griesbach has long been famous for its mineral and healing water which as it bubbles up through layers of Black Forest rock becomes even more enriched with valuable minerals.

There are four different types of saunas, including the old wood sauna, the Swiss stone pine wood sauna, the organic sauna, and the salt dry sauna, and each offers different results for different aches.

The steam baths that improve circulation, metabolism, and immunity include an herbal steam bath, a brine steam bath, and a Hamam with Serail with body peeling, curd soap, and steam thoroughly eliminate waste products and toxins.

And mental stress is simply washed away under subdued light, with lots of soap lather and water. 

There are treatments and massages from around the world from Lomi Lomi Nui to Upanahasveda, and even special wellness programs for children. It is sophisticated and luxurious in the middle of the Black Forest. Dollenberg Hotel Spa

Wald & Schlosshotel Friedrichsruhe in Hohenlohe Offers Award Winning Skincare

In the Hohenlohe region not far from Heidelberg, the award-winning spa and wellness world of the 5-Star Superior Wald & Schlosshotel Friedrichsruhe comprises 15,000 square feet of wellness, water, warmth, massages, and inhouse wine. A starring role is played by the special, inhouse-made wellness care line, SanVino which is a skin-care line made from Hohenlohe grapes. 

 SanVino’s valuable ingredients are from the Hohenlohe vineyards.

Think cold-pressed grape seed oil, red wine and grape seed extracts. 

Highly effective antioxidants and essential oils serve to protect and improve your skin. 

“SanVino–Vino cura naturalis–-health through wine!”

In addition to the SanVino, there a dermo-cosmetic treatment method by Reviderm,

Comfort Zone’s natural ingredients include selected medicinal plants by Pharmos Natur.

The BEWEI boosts metabolism and vitality for the body and face. 

The spa features excellent cosmetics, physical-energetic treatments, biomechanical optimization, and healthy nutrition 

Two Recipes of the The Brown Hotel’s Hot Brown

Historic foodways, Historic Restaurants, Holiday Travel, Hotels, Southern cuisine

What do you do with hungry dancers in the wee hours of the morning?

Well, if you’re Chef Fred Schmidt at the Brown Hotel in Louisville back in the Roaring 1920s, you improvise and come up with a dish that is sure to please the more than 1200 guests attending the newly opened hotel’s dinner dances each evening. Determining they wanted something more than just ham and eggs, Schmidt created an open-faced turkey sandwich topped with bacon and a rich Mornay sauce.

Can you say Hot Brown?

The Hot Brown is wonderful and the Brown itself is divine. An architectural gem, the  Georgian-Revival style hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it’s showstopping elegance is all gold, grandeur, gilt, glitter, and glamour.

From when it opened in 1923, it’s allure attracted the crème-de-la-crème of society. According to the hotel’s website,  the French American operatic soprano and actress Lily Pons, who was staying there while playing at the Brown Theatre, let her pet lion cub roam free in her suite. Al Jolson, also playing at the Theatre, got in a fight in the hotel’s English Grill, but said everything was all right—his makeup would cover the shiner. Queen Marie of Romania, when she was on a diplomatic tour of the U.S. with her children, visited in 1926 and was entertained in the Crystal Ballroom in royal style complete with red carpet and a gold throne on a dais. Victor Mature had a brief career as an elevator operator at the hotel before moving on to find fortune and fame in Hollywood.

Other well-known visitors have included the Duke of Windsor, Harry Truman, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Young, Joan Crawford, Muhammad Ali, Jimmy Carter, George H. Bush, and Barack Obama.

As for the Hot Brown, it’s become more than just a Louisville tradition and has been featured in Southern Living, The Los Angeles Times, NBC’s Today Show, ABC News with Diane Sawyer, Travel Channel’s Man v. Food, and The Wall Street Journal, and is a regular entry in many of the world’s finest cookbooks.

Here is the Brown Hotel’s Hot Brown Recipe.

It makes two Hot Browns.

  • 2 oz. Whole Butter
  • 2 oz. All Purpose Flour
  • 8 oz. Heavy Cream
  • 8 oz. Whole Milk
  • ½ Cup of Pecorino Romano Cheese
    Plus 1 Tablespoon for Garnish
  • Pinch of Ground Nutmeg
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 14 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast, Slice Thick
  • 4 Slices of Texas Toast (Crust Trimmed)
  • 4 Slices of Crispy Bacon
  • 2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Paprika
  • Parsley

In a two‑quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux). Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium‑low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream and whole milk into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2‑3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place two slices of toast with the crusts cut off in an oven safe dish – one slice is cut in half corner to corner to make two triangles and the other slice is left in a square shape – then cover with 7 ounces of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and two toast points and set them alongside the base of the turkey and toast.

Next, pour one half of the Mornay sauce to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese. Place the entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

Hot Brown Casserole

  • 1 cup butter
  • 3⁄4 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 6 cups milk
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1⁄4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 16 slices white bread
  • 16 slices cooked turkey (roast)
  • Paprika
  • 1 lb. bacon (to make 1 cup bacon bits)
  • 1 cup tomatoes, seeded & diced
  • 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper

The Brown Hotel’s Hot Brown Casserole

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add flour stirring to make a roux; cook 2 to 3 minutes.

Thoroughly beat eggs; beat into milk. While stirring, very slowly add milk mixture to butter mixture.

Stir in parmesan cheese. Cook until mixture thickens, but do not boil. This will take 30 to 45 minutes.

Mixture should heavily coat the back side of a large spoon.

Remove from heat. Fold in whipping cream and add salt and pepper to taste.

Trim crust from bread edges. Toast 10 slices in a regular toaster or place in pan under broiler till golden. Repeat on the other side. Reserve remaining bread slices.

Line the bottom of a 9x13x2-inch casserole with 6 slices of toast. Place the remaining 4 slices of toast in an 8x8x2-inch pan. (If you can place all in one pan then do so.). Top with slices of turkey. Cover with sauce, dividing the sauce between the two casseroles. Spread all of the sauce over the turkey.

Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and paprika.

Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or till golden brown.

While casserole is baking, fry bacon till crisp; drain on paper towels. When cooled, break into bits.

Toast remaining slices of bread. Cut on a diagonal. When casserole is done, place toasted bread around outer edge, point side up.

Garnish top of casserole with bacon bits and diced tomatoes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serve while hot.