Red Velvet Cake (Fine cooking) Makes one 9-inch cake. Red velvet cake is a dessert that everyone oohs and aahs over�it�s tall, dark, and handsome, with deep crimson cake layers and a thick coating of cream cheese frosting above, around, and between. This red velvet cake recipe excerpted from David Guas and Raquel Pelzel's DamGoodSweet, is about as southern as a cake can be, but their version veers a bit from tradition. For the cake: 2 sticks (1 cup) plus 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 (1-lb.) box light brown sugar (about 2-1/4 cups) 3 Tbs. red food coloring 2-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 3 large eggs 1-3/4 cups buttermilk For the frosting 1-1/4 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature 2-1/2 sticks (1-1/4 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 (2-lb.) bag confectioners� sugar (about 7-1/4 cups) To make the cake Heat the oven to 350F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with 1 Tbs. of butter each. Add 2 Tbs. of the flour to each pan and shake the pans to coat the bottom and sides. Tap out the excess flour and set the pans aside. Sift the remaining 3 cups of flour with the cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer) cream the remaining butter with the brown sugar, food coloring, and vanilla on low to combine. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until aerated and pale, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly between each addition, scraping the bowl as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and add one-third of the dry ingredients followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, finishing with the final third of the dry mix. Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans, spreading it out as evenly as possible. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the center of the cake resists slight pressure, about 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, and then run a paring knife around the edges of each pan to release the cake from the sides; invert the cakes onto the cooling rack. Cool for 1 hour, and then wrap each cake in plastic wrap for at least a few hours. To make the frosting Beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer) on low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until aerated and light, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add a few cups of the confectioners� sugar, incorporating it into the cream cheese mixture on low speed until combined. Repeat with the remaining sugar, adding it to the mixer in two additions. Once all of the sugar is added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. To assemble the cake Unwrap the cake layers. Slice off the rounded top 1/8 inch of each cake and place the trimmed-away portion in the bowl of a food processor. Slice each cake in half horizontally (you�ll end up with 4 layers), working over a baking sheet to catch any crumb. Add the crumbs to the food processor and pulse until fine. Place one cake layer on a cake round or large plate (make sure that the diameter of the plate is at least 1 inch larger than the cake). Use an offset spatula to evenly spread a heaping 3/4 cup of frosting on the first cake layer. Repeat with the remaining three cake layers, ending with a bottom half of a cake on top, browned-side up (so you don�t get cake crumbs in the frosting). Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake (the sides don�t have to look perfect�you�re going to cover them with cake crumbs anyway). Gently press a handful of the reserved crumbs into the side of the cake until all of the sides are evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. make ahead tips You can make the cake layers up to 3 days in advance. The filled and frosted cake keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Let it stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

I just made some and thought I would share Fricassee 1-2 lb small cubed stew meat, or chicken breasts cubed(you can make this with cut up chicken pieces too just what ever you prefer cook longer if you use whole bone in pieces) 1/2 cup flour(or enough to coat your meat well) 1can cream of onion soup 1can cream of mushroom soup(any of them) fresh sliced mushrooms(optional) fresh baby carrots or sliced carrots (optional) Tonys Cajun seasoning 2 tbs worchestershire sauce garlic salt 2 tbs olive oil 1 large onion chopped in large chunks 1 cup wine (white or blush is what I use) 2 soup cans of water. In a large dutch oven type pot add the oil and get it hot then add the onion and mushroom. Put the meat in a ziplock bag with the flour and shake it up well to coat meat. Dump meat and flour in the pot. Cook till onions start to wilt and meat is browning >stir often.. Add the wine to deglaze the pot and stir well scraping off the bottom of the pot. Add all the rest of the ingredients and season to taste. Cook on med low heat stiring often till meat is done and tender about an hour or so. Cook a pot of rice separately and serve the fricassee over the cooked rice in individual plates. This method does not require you to make a roux� it makes its own roux with the flour on the meat and the olive oil. If you like more roux feel free to add a little. another optional addition I use is the baby red potatoes cut in half or 4ths. If you do not care for carrots or mushrooms you do not have to use them.

This looks good, as were the reviews. This is good served over rice or pasta, and in that case, you'd want to double the sauce. Chicken with Marsala, Mushrooms and Gorgonzola (Fine cooking) 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 6 oz. cremini or white mushrooms, sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 2-1/4 cups) 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup dry Marsala 1/3 cup heavy cream 1-1/2 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola (1/3 cup) 1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Trim the chicken, removing the tenders, and slice on an angle into 3/4-inch-thick pieces; season generously with salt and pepper. In a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add half of the chicken and cook, flipping once, until lightly browned and just barely cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate; repeat with the remaining chicken. Cover with foil to keep warm. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt, and saut�, stirring with a wooden spoon, until softened and well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Pour in the Marsala and scrape the pan with the spoon to loosen any browned bits; simmer until the Marsala is reduced slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add two-thirds of the Gorgonzola and stir until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste the sauce; add salt and pepper as needed. Add the chicken along with any accumulated juices and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve immediatly, sprinkled with the remaining cheese and the parsley.

Chicken Enchiladas ================== 8-10 flour tortillas or corn tortillas 1/2 cup chopped onion 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream 2 cups chicken broth 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken Black olives (optional) Tomato (optional) Green onion (optional) 1Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in 350* oven for 10 minutes to soften. 2For Sauce: In a saucepan, cook onion, garlic, coriander, and pepper in the butter until the onion is tender. 3Stir the flour into the sour cream, and then add to the onion mixture. 4Stir in broth and chili peppers all at once. 5Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. 6Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 C of the cheese. 7For Filling: Stir 1/2 C of the sauce into the chicken, mixing well. 8Place about 2-3 soup-spoon-size of mixture on each tortilla and roll up. 9Arrange rolls, seam side down, in a lightly greased 12x8x2 baking dish. 10Top with remaining sauce. 11Bake, covered, in 350* oven for 35 minutes. 12Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more until cheese melts. 13Let stand 10 minutes. 14If Desired: garnish tops with olives, tomatoes, and cheese.