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HOLIDAY DECADENCE:
GROWN UP HOT CHOCOLATE Monday,
December 19, 2005 To kick
off the celebrating season, two of my girlfriends from college came and spent
the weekend with us. We had a low-key few days, as it was raining and dreary,
and they both were in need of some serious R&R. I loved having them perched on
the bar stools in my kitchen while I finished up my holiday baking and cooked
meals for them. To end our dinner the first night they were here, I mixed up a
batch of this hot chocolate, a name which is really not appropriate. This
thick liquid is much more like dessert than any drink, and the amaretto turns it
into an entirely grown-up affair. This recipe is based loosely on Ina Garten's
for hot chocolate, which my sister-in-law dearly loves. Ina says an immersion
blender will make it frothy like cappuccino, but I don't have one, and it tastes
just as delicious to me without the foam. Patty, Lydia, and I found this hot
chocolate to be the perfect staying-in dessert; all three of us slept very
soundly after sipping such a warm, decadently rich concoction. Beware, though,
it should be consumed in small quantities!
Grown-up Hot Chocolate 1 cup
heavy cream 1 1/2
cups milk 1 cup
chocolate chips (I like the semi-sweet ones) 8 ounces
amaretto (or to taste) In a
small saucepan, heat the cream and milk together until almost bubbling. Reduce
the heat to low, add the chocolate chips, and stir until melted. In each mug,
pour two ounces of amaretto (the bartender at a restaurant where I worked in
college taught me to pour while counting one "Mississippi" for every ounce. In
this case, pour while saying, "one Mississippi, two Mississippi"). Fill the rest
of the mug with the chocolate, and stir once or twice. Makes 4 servings. P.S. As
you probably noticed from my sidebar message, I am leaving town today to visit
family in Mississippi. I don't know how regularly I'll be able to post, but I
hope to keep you updated on what fun food my family makes while we're all
together. If I'm not able to post while I'm gone, I promise a full update when I
return after Christmas.
tagged: Food and Drink
Spice-Rubbed Beef with Poblano-Mascarpone Topping
archives: my
favorite cookbooks: The Aunts' Recipe Book
by Cindy, Prissy,
Jennifer, and Emily
This is the cookbook
my aunts gave me when I got married. It is a 3-ring binder compilation of all
their favorite recipes and some hilarious photos of me as a kid. It is by far my
favorite book to cook with because it reminds me of people who love me. And,
boy, do they know their food! by Ina Garten Ina Garten's
philosophy on food suits me so well. She believes in simplicity and fresh
ingredients, and everything I have made of hers has been both easy and
delicious. Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten I gave my
sister-in-law, Hannah, this cookbook for her birthday last year, and we recently
traded. She has the original Contessa, while I'm trying recipes from this one.
So far, Ina's record with me is impeccable. by Sara Foster I love this cookbook
for its sheer variety; if ever I am in a creativity slump, I can count on this
book to inspire me. Fresh Everyday by Sara Foster with
Carolynn Carreno I just got this one,
and so far I love it. Lots of good basic recipe templates with ideas for
innovation. Come On In! Junior League of
Jackson, MS This cookbook is a
staple in the kitchens where I come from, and whenever I need a southern food
fix, I turn to it. Intercourses by Martha Hopkins and
Randall Lockridge Based on ingredients
that have aphrodisiac qualities, this is a cookbook to hide when your mother
comes over. The food and the photography are fabulous, but as for its
aphrodisiac powers, well, you'll have to be the judge of that (my mother might
read this, after all). The food really is good, though; I've made almost
everything in it. Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and
Naomi Duguid I love Asian food, and
this cookbook is valuable as much for its narrative and photography as for its
recipes. Often, it calls for ingredients I can't find, but I have had fun trying
my own substitutions nonetheless. syndication,
etc.
(look at me--i'm learning about technology!) **NOTE: My RSS feed
is down, but I'm planning to get it back up and running during my holiday break.
Sorry for the inconvenience!**
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a (possible) holiday hiatus I'm off to visit family in Mississippi, the land of dial-up internet, so I don't know what kind of blogging I'll be able to do while I'm gone. I am planning to work on the site while I'm away, adding a search feature, a better comments forum, a fixed RSS feed, and a more user-friendly organization of past recipes. My hope is that after the new year, you will find a much improved Weekly Dish! Until then, if I don't get a chance to post, I wish a joyful holiday season to you and your family. Merry Christmas and Happy Cooking!
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