I know I have seriously been M.I.A. when it comes to blogging and cooking. As many of you know, 2018 has been a transformational year for me. This process often requires me to hibernate a bit and be a bit more introspective. However, I have decided that since it's the end of yet another amazing year of life, I would take a sec and reflect, share and wax poetic....and don't worry the amazing Chocolate Cheesecake recipe that I made for Christmas Eve will also be included.

Let's start with what 2018 has taught me. I learned....

1. Sometimes you just need to go home. I moved back to Eureka, CA over a year ago and when I left here over 15 years ago, I was positive I would never return. I was straight up running...from people, places, events and things. However, my heart wanted to come home and this year has been full of amazing gifts...reconnecting with family, old friends, making new friends, laughter, memories and nature. It has been amazing being home and now I am ready for the next adventure of 2019!!

2. Working from home is amazing!! I work from home, or anywhere else for that matter, and I am truly blessed to be rocking yoga pants, messy buns, no make-up and an espresso machine within walking distance. Happy girl!!

3. We get one life and one opportunity to make memories so celebrate each moment and live for those everyday miracles! This year has been filled with amazing adventures-Greece, Mexico, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta, Ventura County, Calistoga, Napa and I'm sure I forgot a few! It has been filled with incredible people who have touched my heart, made me laugh and made me cry. It has been filled with treasured memories and moments and at the end of the day I can't ask for anything more. I am truly blessed!

4. I am still clumsy AF. This year I got stuck in a gardening pot in Greece that I thought would be a good idea to climb inside. I fell down a hiking trail after laughing at my friend for slipping...instant karma is a bitch!! And oh yeah I may have tripped and ended up in a pond...

5. Celebrate life! My life is not what I envisioned or expected and although I feel like I have continued to be redirected, I am grateful. This life is not guaranteed so love with all of your heart, laugh at your own jokes, live for the moment, find happiness in small celebrations and hold on and enjoy the ride.

As for Chocolate Cheesecake, this recipe is downright amazing. However, I will warn you now that it pretty much will take up every dish in your house. I have never seen so many dishes piled into my sink as I saw Christmas morning, after making this cheesecake. And for the record, dishes in the sink was not the gift that I asked Santa for...so I was not winning!! I also actually started making this recipe on the 23rd because I love my cheesecake after it has sat a little longer than most recipe recommend.



To begin with, the crust is the usual graham cracker and butter crust. However, it has cocoa powder added to it, which makes it a chocolate crust. I was actually a little surprised that it called for regular graham crackers and not chocolate ones, but the cocoa powder did the trick. It was also super easy as you added the ingredients-graham crackers, melted butter and cocoa powder to a food processor and just let it do it's magic. Add the crust to the bottom of your pan and put it in the freezer. As a side note, a lot of cheesecake recipes have the crust go up the sides of the pan, but this one is only on the bottom and it was perfect.

Next, make the filling. The recipe says you can use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, however I used semisweet and it was not too sweet, so that is my recommendation. Melt the chocolate in either a double boiler or a microwave. I have a double boiler and it is beautiful, but let's be honest I used the microwave.

In a mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar and custard powder. On a side note, I had never used custard powder before and so I was a little scared. However, it is a British ingredient and if you can't find it, I was able to order it on Amazon. It is basically flavored cornstarch and it is used as a thickening ingredient. I do have to warn you that it does have a slightly pink hue, which was a little shocking to me, but hell it worked!!

Next, add the eggs and sour cream to the mixer. Finally, add the cocoa powder, which you want to dissolve in hot water and the melted chocolate. I did find that my cheesecake was not as dark as the picture on the original recipe, but maybe that is because I used the semisweet chocolate and not the bittersweet.

Take the pan out of the freezer and line the outside of  the pan with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. This is due to the fact that you will submerge the bottom of the pan in a water bath. This is my first time using a water bath for a cheesecake recipe and I was incredibly stoked not to have any cracks, so it must have worked.

Place the pan in a roasting pan and add the filling. Add boiling water to the roasting pan, coming up about halfway on the cheesecake. Bake for 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

Once it has baked, remove the plastic wrap and foil and cool on a wire rack. Once it is completely cool, chill in the fridge, covered with plastic overnight.

The last step, which I did the next day, is to make the glaze. Melt the chocolate with heavy cream and corn syrup. Let cool slightly and then fling on the cake. I am not a very meticulous cake decorator so this fling chocolate sauce style was just the right kind of decorating for me.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
For the base:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 T cocoa powder

For the filling:
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped small
2 1/2 cups cream cheese
3/4 cup superfine sugar **I used regular sugar and it was fine**
1 T custard powder **oh yeah I have a ton so if you want any it's yours**
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp cocoa powder, dissolved in 1T hot water

Sauce:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped **again I used semisweet and it was great**
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp dark corn syrup

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Make the base, process in a food processor, the graham crackers to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa powder. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tip them into a 9 inch springform pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filling.
3. Melt the chocolate in a microwave or double boiler, set aside to cool slightly.
4. Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then add the sugar and custard powder, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and melted chocolate. Mix to a smooth batter.
5. Take the springform pan out of the freezer and line the outside with plastic wrap, and then a layer of aluminum foil. This will protect the pan from the water bath.
6. Sit the springform pan into a roasting pan and pour the cheesecake filling into the pan. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water, to come about halfway up the cake. Bake in the oven for 45-60 min.
7. Peel away the foil and plastic wrap and place the cheesecake on a cooling rack. Put it in the refrigerator once it is no longer hot, cover and sit overnight.
8. To make the chocolate sauce, melt the chopped chocolate, cream and corn syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, whisk until smooth. Splatter over cheesecake.


This was honestly one of the best cheesecakes I have ever tasted. It was creamy and not grainy at all. It was light and fluffy. It had the perfect amount of sweetness without being overpowering and it was rich and decadent. Enjoy and Happy New Year!!

So this weekend I decided to take the road less traveled when it came to food. We have all heard of the Italian melon and prosciutto dish, however I found a recipe for cantaloupe butter with prosciutto and I decided I must try it. I promptly asked for the opinion of my family, as to whether or not they thought my experiment would be successful, and the comments were mixed. The most positive comment being a,”sure give it a try.” And the less than motivational comment consisting of a wrinkled up nose in disgust and a,”oh hell no.”

It has been a long time since I sat down with my computer and wrote this food blog. I have been compelled to pick it up again for a few reasons-the world needs a little bit of laughter and joy right now, and so do I.


Now lets talk about getting back in the kitchen. I truly have to admit that when I am struggling I tend to be one of those that doesn't eat and/or cook so that makes it a bit challenging for a food blogger. However, this weekend I turned up the jazz music, poured myself a glass of wine and decided to make Strawberry Bread from the strawberries I got at the Farmers Market. I should say I made bread with the remaining strawberries that didn't end up in my mouth promptly after bringing them home. I bought 3 baskets of them and ate 2 of them!!!


So this bread is like a coffee cake style bread. It does not require kneading or rising or being patient, which is perfect for a personality like mine. I actually really liked this recipe. It wasn't too sweet and I loved the fresh strawberries and the hint of spice from the cinnamon. A slight word of caution, it does make two loaves, so everyone I know received strawberry bread on Sunday.


To begin with, slice the strawberries and sprinkle with sugar. I honestly debated on even using the sugar because strawberries this time of year are just so sweet. The recipe called for a tablespoon and I probably used 1/2 Tablespoon. Aren't these just straight up pretty? I love them....yes I love them so much I would marry them. Hell, it might be more successful than my other marriages...just saying. Equality!


Next, mix the dry ingredients together-flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Whisk the eggs and oil in a separate bowl and then add to the strawberries. And I have to say the strawberry, oil and egg mixture looked downright weird and unappetizing, however it all worked out ok. It actually kind of reminded me of something you would see in a Harry Potter movie, like one of Harry's failed spells.






Add the strawberry mixture to the dry ingredients and combine until just moist. Fold in pecans and divide the batter between the two pans. As a side note, the pans should be buttered and floured.


Bake for 45-55 minutes. I actually needed to cook them a little longer, however I don't know if that was due to my oven or the actual recipe. A toothpick inserted should be clean. Let the bread cool in pans for about 10 minutes and then remove to a wired rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Here is the actual recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh strawberries
• 3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

         

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
2. Slice strawberries and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing batter.
3. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl; mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes (test each loaf separately). Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out of pans, and allow to cool before slicing.

Many of you may be thinking that there has to be a typo somewhere in the title of this blog, but alas, no. I truly made Dill Pickle Soup, thanks to Noble Pig, which is a food blog and not my pen name. I saw the recipe on FB and I knew it was a must try for me. And although I got awkward questions about my pregnancy status and my sanity when I told friends and family what I was making for dinner, I knew this recipe and I were going to be best friends. If anyone needs confirmation, I am not pregnant and my mental state is strong...or well unchanged...still a little crazy, but that is my normal state of being.

So let me start by saying, I am friggin in love with this soup recipe!! You can taste the dill pickle and I love it. The soup is also creamy, comforting, hardy and just downright happy. Granted I am sure the salt content is extreme so if you are looking for a low-sodium recipe, just stay away. But seriously, this may be my favorite soup of the moment and as many of you know I eat a ton of soup!!

This soup does contain dill pickles and pickle brine and so at first you are a little confused when you have a pickle bite explode in your mouth and then you just start to embrace and celebrate the uniqueness of the experience. I love dill pickle soup!!



Now in case you wanted to know a few fun facts about pickles let me help:

• Cleopatra ate them because she believed they helped her stay beautiful. Well dang I must be friggin gorgeous!
• Pickles are supposedly mentioned in the Bible! Maybe Jesus turned water into wine and paired it with pickles? So, my wine and pickle pairing is not all that original or unique.
• During WWII 40% of pickles were commandeered to feed the soldiers.
• In Fiji, pickles are part of the courtship process. Men create pickle pits to prove they can afford a wife. Do you think "pickle pit" has multiple meanings? Asking for a friend.
  
  
  
  

To begin with, bring the broth, potato, butter and carrot to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add the chopped dill pickles and continue to boil. One of the many questions that was posed to me last night was whether or not the pickles were hot or cold....and they are hot...and it works!! Just go with it!!



In a bowl, combine sour cream, water and flour, making a paste. My one snafu with this recipe last night was when I got to this step and went to add the flour, only to discover that I had purchased a giant bag of cornmeal instead of flour. In my defense, the cornmeal bag was disguised as a flour bag....minus the fact that it said "corn meal" on the outside instead of flour. Details!! Or lack of attention to details on my part!! However, thankfully I have the worlds most amazing neighbors and they got a frantic text about borrowing flour and they came through for me...yet again.

Whisk the sour cream mixture into the soup and it is ok if some of the potatoes fall apart on you. For the record, it adds some additional thickness to the soup which just makes it more hardy and yummy.



Add the pickle juice, Old Bay seasoning, salt, cayenne and pepper. I went with the traditional Vlasic pickles for this recipe and I thought the flavor was great. However, there are very few pickles I have met that I didn't love so I might not be the best judge on the great pickle juice debate.  Cook for 5 minutes.

I obviously should have been a hand model.

I served mine with diced pickles on top because really even after snacking on pickles while cooking, making pickle soup with pickles and brine, I knew the soup needed a few more pickles.

Here is the actual recipe:

Ingredients

• 5-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1-3/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 cups chopped carrots (smaller dice)
• 1 cup chopped dill pickles (smaller dice ~ about 3 large whole dills)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups dill pickle juice*
• 1-1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Garnish (optional)

• sliced dill pickles
• fresh dill
• black pepper