tomato soup, with roasted vegies

Tomato soup with roasted vegetables

2.5 lbs of tomatoes diced up with 6 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 medium onions chopped

place in an oven proof pan and pre heat oven to 450℉, while oven is heating up on stove medium heat, use approximately 1/2 cup of olive oil and heat up add the onions garlic and tomatoes and toss on pan with one chopped red pepper and yellow pepper, 

you may want to add either a carrot finely chopped or potato to add thickness to soup, but this is optional,

after 5-10 minutes place pan in pre heated oven and roast for 20 to 30 minutes to have them completely roasted, season during all this time with kosher salt and pepper.

once roasted move to a deep pot and add 3 cups of chicken stock either fresh or boxed but use low sodium, add two bay leaves and 4 tblspns of butter, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to reduce stock, remove bay leaves add some fresh chopped basil 1/2 cup, and use an immersion blender or if using a stand blender do it in batches if doing this since it is hot, and blend until smooth, add another cup of stock and 3/4 cups of cream, season with salt and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes, serve with grilled cheese or crusty bread.

ENJOY

chocolate cake, huge

Big Chocolate Cake

Cake:

4 sticks butter, plus more for greasing

8 heaping tablespoons cocoa, plus more for dusting

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups boiling water

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 whole eggs, beaten

Frosting:

3 cups heavy cream

24 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease and dust with cocoa four 9-inch round cake pans.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa. Stir together. Add the boiling water, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat. Pour over the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.

Combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/chocolate mixture.

Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes.

Cool completely before icing. Refrigerate the layers after cooling for best results.

For the frosting: Heat the cream until very hot, and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir to completely melt, and then pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Refrigerate to cool.

Once completely cooled, add the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until light and airy.

Frost the cake in between each layer, on the top and around the sides.

pie crust prep

Basic pie crust

2 1/2 cups of unbleached flour

4 tblspns of veg shortening

2 tsp of sugar

1 tsp of apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp of salt

12 tblspns of butter flavored shortening or butter

1/4 cup of ice water 

whisk the dry ingredients then add the vinegar and veg. shortening, cut with a pie cutter or pulse in a food processor, add the 12 tblspn of butter/butter flavor shortening with the hand cutter or food processor, add the 1/4 cup of ice water,  we will only pulse until we see the mixture is well incorporated, do not over pulse or mix, you will use flour dusted hands to make into a dough and cut dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.

over worked dough makes it tough and not flakey.

place in fridge for an hour or over night or even 1 week ahead or up in freezer for 2 months.

i usually make this dough a week before thanksgiving or a few days ahead