St. Patrick’s Day, Polo, Cheese and Cupcakes: Celebrating Cultures and Coast to Coast Culinary Events!

Yesterday, I literally sharpened my knives and (my wits) in preparation for the last half of March. Wow! Talk about an action-packed culinary agenda! Do you want to join in?

The cultural celebration begins with the “sharin’ of the recipes” in anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday. Corned Beef and Cabbage is a cinch to make, heck it is already cured and seasoned, ready for the stove top, slow cooker or even a microwave convection oven. This recipe, by Chef Jan Berner at the Dacor San Francisco Culinary Center features microwave convection technology, but is written for cook top use as well. The keys to success are rinsing away the brine before cooking and then adding back in more whole spices. Once the meat is fork tender, bite sized new potatoes and cabbage are cooked in the same pot. A true one pot wonder!

Corned Beef and Cabbage with
Irish Soda Bread

This second recipe, also by Chef Jan Berner is for an Irish Cream Pound Cake, which also uses the Dacor Microwave Convection Oven. Since it is a baked item, I am not sure how it translates to a regular convection oven, I will have to test it later in the month. It is, however crazy good, as my husband and his whole band can attest to from last Tuesday night! (See the last post ) 

Irish Cream Pound Cake,
just out of the oven

My next cultural celebration takes me to Wellington, Florida for an exciting chef demonstration at the Piaget Cup at the International Polo Club Sunday March 20th from 2-5pm. This is high culture, baby, at one of the world’s most prestigious polo clubs. Yes, the whole shebang with horses, fancy hats and a swanky champagne brunch. And me. I am going to have to tap into my “champagne and caviar” mind-set! I have NEVER witnessed polo and I am honored to cook for the crowd on the Miele chef stage! You must stay tuned...and wish me luck!

Back on this coast, the “cultural” celebration continues with one of my absolute favorite culinary events in my favorite small town, the cheese-tastic California Artisan Cheese Festival Saturday and Sunday March 26th and 27th at the Sonoma Sheraton in Petaluma, CA. This is my type of “culture”, an event “ripe” with the “who’s who” in cheese, authors Laura Werlin and the sensational Lenny Rice, chefs such as Jacquelyn Buchanan and Duskie Estes and cheese visionaries from Cowgirl Creamery, Point Reyes Farmstead and so much more. The Market Place is on Sunday from 11-4 , a $45 ticket gets you in and sampling a ridiculous array of wine , cheese chocolate, I could go on and on. Just go. Get tickets now at the link above. 

Point Reyes Farmstead sisters Jill and Lynn Giacomini,
cheese royalty, but oh, so down to earth!

And for dessert, Click here to sign up for my FREE Cupcake event on that same Sunday, March 27th from 2-3:30 at Macy’s Cellar in Union Square, San Francisco! Cupcakes, buttercream and piping bags at your service.

Cupcakes, anyone?

From Irish culture, to high culture to cheese “cultures” to your “just desserts” the culinary adventures never cease.


Are you on board? Catch me if you can!

Slow Cooked Corned Beef

Ingredients:

• 1 -3 lb. corned beef brisket in brine
  
• 16 cups of cold water
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 2 Whole Cloves

Directions:

1. Place the corned beef in a colander in the sink and rinse well under cold running water. Place in a large Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid. Add the water, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, and cloves. 
 2. Bring to a boil, uncovered and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and transfer pan to the Dacor Convection Microwave Oven, and enter “Slow Cook Feature” which is automatically programmed for 4 hours at 300°F. Alternately, cook on the stove top with the cover on, on a low simmer for about the same cooking time. 
 3. If desired, after cooking, remove brisket from Dutch oven, return to a boil on the stove top and add cut new potatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add cut cabbage and cook until tender for about 10 more minutes.

Irish Cream and Coffee Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 ½ tablespoons instant espresso powder
• ¼ cup boiling water
• ½ cup Irish Cream liqueur
• 4 cups flour

Glaze:

• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 1 ½ tablespoons Irish Cream liqueur
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow streaks disappear. Scrape sides of bowl once or twice. Add extracts. Dissolve espresso powder in boiling water and add liqueur. Add flour to butter mixture alternately with coffee mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix at low speed just until blended after each addition.  
3. Pour batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Place in Dacor microwave convection oven. Press low-mix bake twice and enter # 5, enter 50 minutes and press start. Start checking cake at 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes; remove cake from pan and let cool 30 minutes on wire rack. Brush with Irish cream glaze and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
Glaze: Dissolve espresso powder in boiling water; add liqueur and powdered sugar, stirring until blended.