Stitch's Cake Creation

by Denise Parker

Cake

2 1/2 cup AP flour

2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

Pineapple top

4 oz can sliced pineapple

1/2 cup light brown sugar

4 tablespoon butter

For frosting

4 cup confectioners sugar

3/4 C shortening

1/4 C water

1 tsp vanilla

4 oz can crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 375 grease one 8 inch round cake pan with butter spray. Place second pan on stove top and add 4 tablespoons butter. When butter has melted sprinkle brown sugar over the top of butter until evenly coated. Take off heat and place pineapple slices on top of brown sugar. Set aside and prepare cake.  Stir together flour,baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In an electric mixer beat buttter on med high for 30 seconds add sugar and vanilla, beat until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time beating for 1 min. after each egg. Add flour mixture and milt alternately to beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Pour batter into pans. Fill them about half way.

Bake for 30-35 mins until toothpick comes out clean.

While cake is baking make frosting.

Combine all frosting ingredients except the pineapple . Combine on high speed until fluffy. Add small spoonfuls of crushed pineapple until it thins out frosting a little bit. Set aside until ready to use.

Immediately turn over cake with Pineapple bottom on a flat greased plate. Don't remove pan for atleast 5 mins. Let butter and sugar fall from pan. Cool cakes completely before frosting.

Frost the top of the bottom cake and then carefully place the pineapple cake on top of the frosted cake. ( It might be a 2 person job.)

If desired, add marachino cherries to center of pineapple rings.

Food Porn for a Homesick Texan

by Erica Cooksey

1 can beef broth

1 head garlic, separated into cloves and cut in half

1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup soy sauce

1 tables

poon liquid smoke

1 pound point cut/second cut beef brisket, preferably with fat untrimmed

1 small red onion

Prepared BBQ sauce (I used Stubb's brand)

Shredded queso quesadilla or Monterey jack

Refried black beans

Red taco sauce or enchilada sauce

6 10-inch flour tortillas

Butter

NOTE: Due to time constraints and never before having used my stovetop smoker for brisket, I braised it prior to smoking to ensure tenderness. In the future, I would recommend just finding a good recipe for Texas-style smoked brisket and doing that without the braise. Alternately, if you don't have a smoker, just sear the outside of the meat on the stovetop and then braise it for a little longer.

1. Combine the first five ingredients in a deep casserole dish, small enough that the brisket will be immersed in the liquid. Set the brisket in, cover tightly with foil, and cook at 300 degrees for an hour. Let the brisket briefly cool in the juices, then transfer to a stovetop smoker and smoke over mesquite for an hour or so. Let cool and then shred.

2. Meanwhile, thickly slice the red onion and saute over medium low until caramelized. Season with salt.

3. Heat a generous amount of butter over medium high heat. Brown each tortilla on both sides, adding more butter as necessary. Set aside.

4. Combine some of the beans with a splash of taco sauce until it's thin enough to spread judiciously but not runny.

5. To assemble a quesadilla, coat one tortilla with a thin layer of beans. Arrange the brisket on top and drizzle with BBQ sauce. Cover with shredded cheese and caramelized onions. Top with a second tortilla. Repeat with remaining 4 tortillas, making three quesadillas in total.

6. Bake at 375 for 5 minutes or until cheese is gooey. Serve with pico de gallo.

Pico de Gallo

4-5 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1-2 fresh poblano peppers, seeded and diced

1 bunch scallions, sliced about 1/4" thick

1-2 limes

1 bunch cilantro, leaves only, minced

1-2 avocados, diced

Combine ingredients and chill thoroughly.

When You Fish Upon a Star

by Glen Parker

Breading

1 loaf italian, cuban or french bread

1/4 cup  parsley

1/4 cup  chives

1/4 cup sweet onion

1/4 cup butter, melted

Batter

3 eggs

1/3 cup mayo

1 tablespoon Old Bay Spice

Salt/pepper/paprika

6 tablespoons flour

Fish

1 1/2 lb thick white fish filet (cod, haddock, hake, tilapia, etc.)

Process bread in food processor until medium fine crumbs. Toss bread mix, onion, butter to coat. Bake at 350F, 20-25 minutes, until GBD, stirring once halfway through.

Pat fish very dry. Cut into servings. Sprinkle fish with Old Bay, salt, pepper, liberally. Assemble a breading station: fish, a bowl flour, a bowl egg batter, a bowl bread crumbs, and finally a baking pan.

Dredge in flour.  Tap to remove as much flour as possible. Dredge in egg batter.  Let excess drip off. Pat on thick layer of bread crumb.

Bake 16-20 minutes at 400F until fish reaches 140F internal temperature.

Tartar Sauce

1 cup mayo

1 teaspoon worstechster  sauce

1 tablespoon white wine

2 tablespoon sweet relish

Salt & pepper

Stir all ingredients together.  Serve cold.

Master Chef VI: Google Finally Indexes the MC Blog

Any contest who's winner uses "food" and "porn" in a title is bound to increase search ranking.  Congratulations to our first two time winner of Master Chef: Erica Cooksey!  May the search terms "Erica Cooksey" and "food porn" forever be united.