Pan-Roasted Pear Salad with Radicchio, Blue Cheese, and Walnuts

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe but firm pears (about 1 1/2 pounds), quartered and cored (see note above)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil plus an additional 2 teaspoons
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 small shallot , minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 medium head green leaf lettuce , washed, dried, and torn into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1 large head radicchio , quartered, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 1 cup) or Stilton cheese
• 3/4 cup walnuts , toasted and chopped

 Directions:
      1. Toss pears, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add pears cut-side down in single layer and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Using small spatula or fork, tip each pear onto second cut side; continue to cook until second side is light brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Turn off heat, leave skillet on burner, and add 2 tablespoons vinegar; gently stir until vinegar becomes glazy and coats pears, about 30 seconds. Transfer pears to large plate and cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Cut each pear quarter crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.
      2. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and shallot together in large bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add lettuce, radicchio, and cooled pears to bowl; toss and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Divide salad among individual plates; top each with portions of cheese and nuts. Serve immediately.

Lemon Bar with Strawberry Glaze and Candied Lemon Peel

Ingredients:
    Crust
    1 3/4cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    2/3cup confectioners' sugar , plus extra to decorate finished bars
    1/4cup cornstarch
    3/4teaspoon table salt
    12tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at very cool room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus extra for greasing pan
    Lemon Filling
    4 large eggs , beaten lightly
    1 1/3cups granulated sugar
    3tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
    2teaspoons grated lemon zest from 2 large lemons
    2/3cup lemon juice from 3 to 4 large lemons, strained
    1/3cup whole milk
    1/8teaspoon table salt
    Strawberry Glaze
    Candied Lemon Peels

Directions:
    1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and line with one sheet parchment or wax paper. Dot paper with butter, then lay second sheet crosswise over it.
    2. Pulse flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade. Add butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second bursts. (To do this by hand, mix flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl. Freeze butter and grate it on large holes of box grater into flour mixture. Toss butter pieces to coat. Rub pieces between your fingers for a minute, until flour turns pale yellow and coarse.) Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and, press firmly with fingers into even, 1/4-inch layer over entire pan bottom and about 1/2-inch up sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
    3. For the filling: Meanwhile, whisk eggs, sugar, and flour in medium bowl, then stir in lemon zest, juice, milk, and salt to blend well.
    4. To finish the bars: Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir filling mixture to reblend; pour into warm crust. Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to near room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Transfer to cutting board, fold paper down, and cut into serving-size bars, wiping knife or pizza cutter clean between cuts, as necessary. Sieve confectioners’ sugar over bars, if desired.

Teriyaki Sauce

Mike and I were going to make beef teriyaki about a month ago, when we happened upon the fact we were out of teriyaki sauce. Found this recipe (halved the sugar) and have decided to never go back to store bought sauce again. (Apologies for the shoddy photo again; I took this photo with my phone.)

• 1/2cup soy sauce
• 1/2 1/4cup sugar
• 1/2teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1clove garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 2tablespoons mirin
• 1/2teaspoon cornstarch

Combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic in small saucepan; stir together mirin and cornstarch in small bowl until no lumps remain, then stir mirin mixture into saucepan. Bring sauce to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 3/4 cup and forms syrupy glaze, about 4 minutes. Cover to keep warm.

Cherry Lime Cupcakes

Asked a friend what his top two favorite flavors were: cherry and lime (aka time to start combining recipes):

Cupcake: Key Lime Pie Cupcakes
Frosting: Margarita Cupcake Recipe

That covered the lime basis; to cover the cherry flavor, I stuffed (and topped) the cupcake with maraschino cherries.

(Apologies for the shoddy photo, but I was in a rush.)

Christmas 2013

Pumpkin Roll

Chocolate Mousse


I also sent out tins of snickerdoodles to my raid team:

Oatmeal Cream Pies

While I was going through a rough patch in the past year, I had a hankering for the Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies, but wanted to make my own: Oatmeal Cream Pies

Piña Colada Cupcakes

I've been absent for a good long while and am just now starting to play catch-up with some old photos.

Made these delicious treats for my mother's birthday in April 2013: Piña Colada Cupcakes