SOUP on a Cold Night to Warm the Heart and Tummy

Corn and Crab Chowder

I just love the creaminess of a good soup and I also love seafood of just about any kind! I am learning through reading other blogs that I have not been trying all the different kinds so I have no idea just how limited or not limited this statement actually is! Skate wing, for example, has never come into my vocabulary until earlier this month. The picture looked intriguing, fun, and scary. I think the hardest part would be finding where to shop for this lovely new culinary experience. Tonight, I think I will stick with the tried and true dungeness crab meat. This took me about 20 minutes to prep and another 35 minutes to cook. I originally found this recipe through the Bon Appetit Magazine a while back and I have made this several times since. Since I rarely make something twice, then this should speak volumes! The weather is cold so soup is wonderful right now. =D

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce bag) frozen petite white corn (do not thaw), divided

1 c. milk

1 (8-ounce bottle) clam juice

4 T. sliced green onions, divided

2 t. minced peeled, fresh ginger, divided

4 1/2 t. fresh lemon juice, divided

2 T. butter

8 ounces cooked crab meat, flaked

Directions:

Reserve 1/4 cup corn. Bring remaining corn and milk to boil in medium saucepan. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 10 minutes. Puree mixture in blender. Add clam juice, 3 Tablespoons green onions, and 1 teaspoon ginger; puree again until almost smooth. Return puree to saucepan; bring to simmer. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add reserved 1/4 cup corn; saute 1 minute. Add crab, 1 Tablespoon green onions, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 3 teaspoons lemon juice; stir just until warm. Season with salt and pepper. Divide soup among bowls; mound crab mixture in center.

Makes 4 servings

Tuscan Bread Soup

I adore soups! Fun, healthy, and so *many* varieties! I had a loaf of fresh Ciabatta that was not so fresh anymore and I didn't want to waste it. On top of that, when you took a small whiff, well a wonderful aroma that only good bread gives is what I breathed in. How could I possibly not put this to use besides making it into breadcrumbs for dipping fish fillets or Pork Loin Chops into? So Tuscan Bread Soup came to mind. I used my homemade chicken broth that I froze earlier but a regular store bought chicken broth is just as delicious in this recipe. Big cubes of crusty bread is a must along with baking the bread slices to achieve a healthy golden brown color. Presentation ends up being just as beautiful as the flavor and aroma.

Ingredients:

4 slices crusty Italian bread, 1 1/2 inches thick

4 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 Large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

6 c. chicken broth

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 t. minced fresh thyme (or 1/2 t. dried)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Place bread slices on baking sheet, brush tops with 1 T. oil, and bake until golden brown and crusty, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 3 Tablespoons oil in Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, cream, and thyme and simmer until onions are softened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut bread into 1-inch chunks and place in soup bowls. Ladle soup over bread, sprinkle with Parmesan, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve. YUM!

Man in the Box Bloopers - Greg's New Office

Try to keep a straight face with Mike Polk's head popping out at you.

Leave comments if you like!

Man in the Box Bloopers - Greg's New Office

Try to keep a straight face with Mike Polk's head popping out at you.

Leave comments if you like!

January 2008 Daring Baker Challenge

Jen from Canada posted our challenge for January of a beautiful lemon meringue pie. This dessert brings one word to mind: nostalgia, and I would love to thank her for the warm memories that go with making this pie. My father loved lemon meringue pie and my Mom loved chocolate meringue pie. As a child, whenever I wanted to bake something special for my parents, I would make both of these pies, one for each so that neither parent was left out. Of course, Mom and Dad shared with all 4 of us children but the pies were created because I knew how much our parents would enjoy it. Then I grew up and moved from home. Every year after, I would make at least one lemon meringue pie for Dad. This was a four hour drive to get to my parents, then make and bake the pie at their house. Dad always acted so surprised and appreciative! I would like to include in this that my Mom is no slouch as a baker. She can outbake me any day, any time. She just doesn't enjoy baking pies. Anyways, Mom and Dad moved to Yuma, AZ about 3 1/2 years ago and since I live in WA state, there is no more driving to my parents to bake anymore pies. This is terrible. I am crying and typing. They are happy tears and homesick tears, so it is okay. =) When I was making the lemon filling, the phone rang. It was my Mom and Dad was in the background. Laughter and memories were shared over the phone while I scooped lemon filling into the pie crust. Dad wanted me to send him a slice in the mail. . .hhhmmm, this could be a problem.

I have to laugh because I forgot just how fast cornstarch, sugar and water can go from soupy to a thick paste. It happens in a flash, doesn't it? I was just mildly stirring and not paying a lot of attention and then BOOM! I can't hardly stir and I have to get a cup of this thick mixture to the egg yolks. I don't know if anyone else got the pleasure of trying to drop small globs of thickened sweet cornstartch into eggs and pray they don't curdle but that is what happened to me! Everything turned out fine and the filling was smooth, silky and a bright lemony yellow but I did have quite the start.

The pillowy meringue topping is so much fun to try and swirl, lift and make pretty swooping designs on the top. I have to hand it to Jen for all the great ideas at the end for creativity as well. As many times as I have made this in the past, I have never thought to add or emblemish! Silly me! The idea for free form flat tart crusts is amazing to me and I am going to have to try this along with reading over some of the other daring baker's ideas! That is why this group is so addictive! Everyone coming at the same idea from different angles! Phenomenal! =D

Here is Jen's recipe as posted on the Daring Baker's site for all to see and Jen, Thank you =D.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:

3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces

2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar

1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt

1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:

2 cups (475 mL) water

1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarch

5 egg yolks, beaten

1/4 cup (60 mL) butter

3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:

5 egg whites, room temperature

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar

1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract

3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

Directions:

To Make the Crust:Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling: Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.
Free-Style Lemon Tartlets(from "Ripe for Dessert" by David Lebovitz)Prepare the recipe as above but complete the following steps:To roll out tartlet dough, slice the dough into 6 pieces. On lightly floured surface, roll each circle of dough into a 5 inch disk. Stack the disks, separated by pieces of plastic wrap, on a plate, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.To bake the dough, position rack in oven to the centre of oven and preheat to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the disks of dough, evenly spaced, on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely.To finish tartlets, first place oven rack in the upper third of the oven and increase heat to 425ºF. Divide the lemon filling equally among the disks, mounding it in the centre and leaving a 1-inch border all the way around. Spoon the meringue decoratively over each tartlet, right to the edges, in dramatic swirling peaks.Return tartlets to oven and bake for about 5 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown.

Serendipity

Serendipity's Frozen Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Recipe

I splurged and bought myself the Serendipity Cookbook and this is one of the hot/cold beverages they serve. . .SO MUCH FUN to make AND DRINK! I absolutely love this and anyone that is a peanut butter lover might just absolutely LOVE this too! =D

I used Schokinag Triple Chocolate for the 6 1/2 ounces of mixed chocolate. For anyone that doesn't know, Schokinag is a European Drinking chocolate that you mix with a little warm milk to slowly melt the chocolate pieces before adding the rest of the milk to make a whole cup. This happens to be my all time favorite hot chocolate! The drink is sweet and rich BUT definitely an awesome treat! =D

Ingredients:
6 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, and semisweet chocolate
3 T. sugar
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
1/2 c. chilled whipping cream
2 T. peanut butter
3 c. ice cubes
chocolate shavings

Directions:
Place 6 1/2 ounces assorted chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Add sugar and cocoa and stir to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup milk; whisk until sugar dissolves. Cool mixture to room temperature.
Using electric mixer, beat cream in small bowl until peaks form. Place remaining 1 cup milk, chocolate mixture, peanut butter, and ice in blender. Puree until smooth. Divide between 2 large glasses. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

Dinner Menu

Dinner Menu:

Breaded Skinless Fish Fillets with Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Red Rice

Steamed Broccoli

I am working on dinner menus again. I try to keep organized and get menus for the week but then I come across a recipe that just jumps out at me. This time I was reading Bon Appetit, the January issue of this year, and there is a recipe for breaded skinless fish fillets (I am using a petrale sole) with red pepper mayonnaise. Thin fillets with a last coating of crustless French bread crumbs. The whole coating tastes light and with the fillets being sauteed quickly, I have a tender, flaky texture with LOTS of flavor without the greasiness of fried fish. I just have to add this fish recipe to my regular dishes. I also love rice but I needed something that added a little extra flavor to go with the medium punch delivered by the Red Pepper Mayonnaise so a nice red rice dish combining fresh tomatoes, onion, chili powder and diced red peppers was going to be my easy side dish. The whole dinner took less then 35 minutes to cook and I had a healthy meal on the table.

Breaded Skinless Fish Fillets with Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Ingredients:
1 7 to 8-ounce red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 T. finely chopped fresh chives
2 t. fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1/2 t. coarsely ground black pepper
1 large egg
2 T. milk
2 1/2 to 3 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
4 5- to 6-ounce skinless thin fish fillets (such as flounder or petrale sole)
2 T. (or more) butter
2 T. (or more) olive oil

Directions:
Using on/off turns, chop bell pepper in processor until juices form. Transfer to small sieve set over bowl; let drain 10 minutes. Mix next 4 ingredients in small bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup bell pepper. Season mayonnaise with salt and pepper.

Do Ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Mix flour and next 2 ingredients in pie dish. Whisk egg and milk in another dish. Place breadcrumbs in third dish. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Coat each side with flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumbs, covering completely.

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter with 2 Tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add fish to skillet. Saute until just opaque in center and crust is golden brown, adding more butter and oil as needed, about 4 minutes per side. Serve fillets with red pepper mayonnaise.

Red Rice

Ingredients:
1 c. uncooked rice, not instant
2 T. peanut oil (I usually use grape seed oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 c. chicken broth
1 T. chili powder
salt to taste
Diced red or green pepper if desired

Directions:
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add rice and stir. Heat until rice is just golden brown. Add garlic and onion and saute until onion just begins to brown.

Add tomato, tomato sauce, chicken broth, chili powder, and salt. Also add diced peppers if using.

Lower the heat and cover.

Simmer 25 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and serve.

THE TRUTH BEHIND MY NEW HAIRCUT!!!

So over the holidays I returned to my hometown of Milford, CT and caught up with some buddies of mine. However, there was something distinctly different about them. For one thing they kept referring to women as "fuckin' skanks." And they didn't so much drink Jägerbombs as much as they enjoyed repeating the word over and over again. It was pretty horrific.

After inquiring what their deal was, I learned of "My New Haircut", a video not so new to YouTube about That Guy in every bar and club you'll ever go to, at least from my experiences in Los Angeles and the Tri-State area. A good concept. Decently executed, although I don't think it was funny as much as it was quotable. Thus all my friends quoting it as if it had come straight from Will Ferrel's mouth.

Come to find out that a co-worker and friend of mine Mike Polk was the originator of the concept of "My New Haircut", except his was called "Look at My Striped Shirt!", and actually hilarious. He first published this essay on thephatphree.com, and then later in a book entitled... what else? "Look At My Striped Shirt!: Confessions of the People You Love to Hate", which was published in December of 2006. Mike even taped a live performance of this monologue and posted it on YouTube on August 31st, 2006. It currently has around 23,000 views. The "My New Haircut" video was posted on YouTube June 10, 2007, just shy of a year after Mike's. It has almost 10,000,000 views. Holy shit.

Now, the second "My New Haircut" hit it big, Mike was getting calls from friends up in arms about the blatant plagiarism. "Skanks", "Jägerbombs", calling bartenders "chief". It couldn't be more obvious. But, to be honest and quite frank, Mike didn't give a shit. He still doesn't. Mike's not the type of guy who gets his feathers rustled easily. He's also not the type of guy who would approve of the expression "feathers rustled", so I apologize, Mike.

But here at Runaway Box, our feathers were rustled (again, I'm sorry), and so something had to be done in Mike's defense. Justice needed to be served. Mike's a brilliant, funny guy and he deserves some credit. What really ticked us off is that this guy with his shitty new haircut is now making money from t-shirts and, get this, a college tour. Who wants this guy at their college? Like, really, who wants to say they partied with that guy? I'd be embarrassed. But the point is, he's making money off of something that is not his, without ever even hinting at giving credit to Mike Polk the original author. It's just wrong.

Anyway, the result of our frustrations (and not Mike's, to be clear) was this video. So spread the word. Get the truth out there. Do something good for once in your life.

THE TRUTH BEHIND MY NEW HAIRCUT!!!

So over the holidays I returned to my hometown of Milford, CT and caught up with some buddies of mine. However, there was something distinctly different about them. For one thing they kept referring to women as "fuckin' skanks." And they didn't so much drink Jägerbombs as much as they enjoyed repeating the word over and over again. It was pretty horrific.

After inquiring what their deal was, I learned of "My New Haircut", a video not so new to YouTube about That Guy in every bar and club you'll ever go to, at least from my experiences in Los Angeles and the Tri-State area. A good concept. Decently executed, although I don't think it was funny as much as it was quotable. Thus all my friends quoting it as if it had come straight from Will Ferrel's mouth.

Come to find out that a co-worker and friend of mine Mike Polk was the originator of the concept of "My New Haircut", except his was called "Look at My Striped Shirt!", and actually hilarious. He first published this essay on thephatphree.com, and then later in a book entitled... what else? "Look At My Striped Shirt!: Confessions of the People You Love to Hate", which was published in December of 2006. Mike even taped a live performance of this monologue and posted it on YouTube on August 31st, 2006. It currently has around 23,000 views. The "My New Haircut" video was posted on YouTube June 10, 2007, just shy of a year after Mike's. It has almost 10,000,000 views. Holy shit.

Now, the second "My New Haircut" hit it big, Mike was getting calls from friends up in arms about the blatant plagiarism. "Skanks", "Jägerbombs", calling bartenders "chief". It couldn't be more obvious. But, to be honest and quite frank, Mike didn't give a shit. He still doesn't. Mike's not the type of guy who gets his feathers rustled easily. He's also not the type of guy who would approve of the expression "feathers rustled", so I apologize, Mike.

But here at Runaway Box, our feathers were rustled (again, I'm sorry), and so something had to be done in Mike's defense. Justice needed to be served. Mike's a brilliant, funny guy and he deserves some credit. What really ticked us off is that this guy with his shitty new haircut is now making money from t-shirts and, get this, a college tour. Who wants this guy at their college? Like, really, who wants to say they partied with that guy? I'd be embarrassed. But the point is, he's making money off of something that is not his, without ever even hinting at giving credit to Mike Polk the original author. It's just wrong.

Anyway, the result of our frustrations (and not Mike's, to be clear) was this video. So spread the word. Get the truth out there. Do something good for once in your life.

What We're Liking

So about every week or so I'll be kind of showcasing some stuff here on the blog that we're watching around the offices of Runaway Box. Believe it or not we don't just watch our own stuff over and over again. Well, we do, because it's that awesome, but there's also some other stuff thrown in there sometimes. And sometimes, we really like that stuff.

Here's what most of us were huddled around my laptop watching yesterday. It's called Jingle Cats. I'm aware there is a plethora of kitty videos on youtube that all suck, all with a minimum of 70 million views. This is not one of them. Sing along if you know the words.



Watch this video on drugs. Any kind. It will be the best thing you've seen since "The Godfather".

Leave comments and subscribe to our youtube channel: youtube.com/runawaybox!

What We're Liking

So about every week or so I'll be kind of showcasing some stuff here on the blog that we're watching around the offices of Runaway Box. Believe it or not we don't just watch our own stuff over and over again. Well, we do, because it's that awesome, but there's also some other stuff thrown in there sometimes. And sometimes, we really like that stuff.

Here's what most of us were huddled around my laptop watching yesterday. It's called Jingle Cats. I'm aware there is a plethora of kitty videos on youtube that all suck, all with a minimum of 70 million views. This is not one of them. Sing along if you know the words.



Watch this video on drugs. Any kind. It will be the best thing you've seen since "The Godfather".

Leave comments and subscribe to our youtube channel: youtube.com/runawaybox!

Behind the Scenes - Speed Dating

In December we showcased several new series, one of them being created by Ben Pace (aka Harold the Janitor from "Elevator"). Five episodes of "Speed Dating" ran daily for a week. All five were filmed in one day. Here are some behind-the-scenes stills from that shoot.

The guy on the right is Nathan Naesel, a friend of Ben's. Each episode originally started and ended with Nate leaning over to Ben to give tips on the speed dating experience. However, due to time constraints, Nate ended up on the cutting room floor.

This is one of the above mentioned lean-ins that you never got to see. In the episode "Uptight Woman", Nate began by leaning in and telling Ben to just be himself. At the end, Nate leaned in again and told him to try being "less himself" next time.

This restaurant set was completed fabricated in our insert stage. Recognize that carpet pattern? We also film "Elevator" here.

This is Matt on camera. He's not really a midget, although I wish he was because it'd be fun to work with one, I think.

This is Julianna Guill from the episode "Bubbly Bitch". In her glass is pure pina colada mix, with no alcohol, and I think Ben's is a Snapple Iced Tea.

Here they are going over the script for the episode. Ben Pace wrote these himself. He pretty much stuck to his script while filming, contrary to "Elevator" where he improvs quite a bit as Harold.

Behind the Scenes - Speed Dating

In December we showcased several new series, one of them being created by Ben Pace (aka Harold the Janitor from "Elevator"). Five episodes of "Speed Dating" ran daily for a week. All five were filmed in one day. Here are some behind-the-scenes stills from that shoot.

The guy on the right is Nathan Naesel, a friend of Ben's. Each episode originally started and ended with Nate leaning over to Ben to give tips on the speed dating experience. However, due to time constraints, Nate ended up on the cutting room floor.

This is one of the above mentioned lean-ins that you never got to see. In the episode "Uptight Woman", Nate began by leaning in and telling Ben to just be himself. At the end, Nate leaned in again and told him to try being "less himself" next time.

This restaurant set was completed fabricated in our insert stage. Recognize that carpet pattern? We also film "Elevator" here.

This is Matt on camera. He's not really a midget, although I wish he was because it'd be fun to work with one, I think.

This is Julianna Guill from the episode "Bubbly Bitch". In her glass is pure pina colada mix, with no alcohol, and I think Ben's is a Snapple Iced Tea.

Here they are going over the script for the episode. Ben Pace wrote these himself. He pretty much stuck to his script while filming, contrary to "Elevator" where he improvs quite a bit as Harold.

Family Favorite Soup

Thick and creamy with chunks of Potato and all the Toppings of a Baked Potato!The soup is simple yet has all the flavors of a fully topped baked potato. The soup is put together in half the time that it would take to actually bake a potato in the oven and you get to use a spoon so the title of this lovely family favorite. . .named by my Mom. . .is:

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

The potato skins are fried in bacon fat to give the soup an overall baked potato flavor. Also, there is plenty of smoky bacon, cheese, and sour cream with a touch of scallions. If you heat leftover soup back up, just remember to gently warm the soup in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the soup boil because the sour cream in the soup will seperate.

Ingredients:

8 ounces bacon, chopped
3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. all-purpose flour
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 t. dried thyme
2 c. shredded sharp cheese, plus additional for garnish
1 c. sour cream, plus additional for garnish
Pepper
3 scallions, sliced thin


Directions:
Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. While bacon is cooking, use vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of potato peel; reserve peels, Cut peeled potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels. Add reserved potato skins to bacon fat in pot and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potato skins to plate with bacon.

Add onion to fat remaining in pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and flour and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth and cream, stir in thyme and potatoes, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes.
Transfer 2 cups cooked potatoes to bowl. Puree remaining soup in batches in blender until smooth. Return to pot and warm over medium-high heat. Off heat, stir in cheese until melted, then whisk in sour cream, Return reserved potatoes to pot and season soup with pepper. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with bacon, fried potato skins, scallions, and sour cream.

REHEATING LEFTOVERS: To reheat leftover portions of the Loaded Baked Potato Soup, gently warm the soup in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Do not let the soup boil, which will cause the sour cream to separate.

Strawberry Croissant French Toast

Bright and Cheery for Breakfast Making breakfast always feels like a rush. I think that is why I struggle with it so much. People tend to sleep in on the weekends and I never know when to start because no one wants to eat when their tummy isn't awake yet, so timing usually goes out the window and I always feel that I am making brunch instead of lunch.

I am in the mood for strawberries, mainly because the sun is out and yet it is chilly. Fred Meyers had strawberries but the berries are only half ripe. Meaning, the top 1/4 of the strawberry is white and the rest is red. I was reluctant to buy them but I am so hungry for something that reminds me of spring or early summer so I caved. A bright and cheerful breakfast is so worth it and I am happy to say that the strawberries did have a nice flavor so buying them was worth it.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 T. vanilla extract
• 1 T. ground cinnamon
• 1 t. ground nutmeg
• 2 c. fresh strawberries, leave some to make strawberry fans with
• 1 8 ounce box of cream cheese
• 2 T. butter
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 T. sugar granulated
• 2 T. powdered sugar
• 4 croissants, sliced in half, lengthwise

Directions:

• Rinse off strawberries and take off stem top. Slice the strawberries up and place in a bowl with 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar and lemon juice. Stir to combine and then remove about 3 T. of strawberries for on top of croissants. The rest of the strawberries you will want to mash slightly. The juice at the bottom of the bowl will be drizzled over the top of the croissant at the end.
• Warm skillet on medium heat and melt 2 Tablespoons of butter.
• Dipping mixture: Mix together eggs, cream, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Dip the croissant halves into the mix to coat on both sides and place in the skillet flat side down first. Brown on each side and then remove from the skillet. Spread one half of croissant with cream cheese and top with about 3 Tablespoons of mashed strawberries. Set top half of croissant on filling. Drizzle strawberry sauce over croissant and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Set strawberry fan and serve.

Blueberry Buckle with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Fred Meyers had blueberries on sale in the middle of January and this is one of my favorite coffeecakes to make. The buckle weighs a ton because of all 4 cups of fresh blueberries. The streusel is a perfect addition for added sweetness and brown sugar flavor and the cream cheese whipped cream is not overly sweet but adds another great creamy texture and flavor that pulls everything together and makes the breakfast coffeecake a WoW! dish. I was running around the house this morning trying to figure out where I thought I put the recipe for safe keeping. It was horrible! I hate that I do that. . .you know, think that you'll never forget where you put something, only to forget 2 days later. I am now putting this recipe into the computer so that I will always have it at my fingertips. . .except that this blog does not keep titles next to dates, so I'll have to figure out how I am going to remember that today I posted this recipe. This sounds so silly but I have so many recipes cataloged to try now, try later, for such-and-such holiday or event, for entertaining, for my daughter because it is basic, etc. Tried and True has a file already but the file is loaded. I have a 3-ring binder that is full so I put the recipe inside of, what was then, my favorite cookbook. My tastes have changed I guess. So here is my super moist and yummy blueberry buckle:

Streusel:
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
2 T. granulated sugar
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
Pinch table salt
4 T. unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool
Cake:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. Baking Powder
10 T. unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), softened but still cool
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1/2 t. table salt
1/2 t. grated lemon zest
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 c. fresh blueberries
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream:
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 c. confectioners' sugar
pinch table salt
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. heavy cream

Directions:

1. For streusel: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.

2. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray round; dust pan with flour and knockout excess.

3. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze handful of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).

5. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen, Place upside-down plate (do not use plate or platter on which you plan to serve the cake) on top of cake pan; invert cake to remove from pan, lift off cake pan, then peel off and discard parchment. Re-invert cake onto serving platter. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream with directions stated below. . .

DIRECTIONS FOR CREAM CHEESE WHIPPED CREAM:
In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and salt at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add vanilla and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds; scrape down bowl. With machine running at low speed, add heavy cream in slow steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds soft peaks when whisk is lifted, another 1-2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Serve with blueberry buckle.

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Dense and dark, bittersweet chocolate. Small wedges of this decadent cake go a long ways and the whipped cream mixed with Frangelico liqueur is a perfect accompaniment for the dessert. The chocolaty cake is easy to make and the key to success is patience. Baking time is 1 1/2 hours and refrigeration time is a minimum of 3 hours. If I am going to host a dinner party and serve this dessert, then the timing is perfect because the cake can be made ahead of time. If I am in a rush for some serious chocolate mood adjustment. . .I need to move on to a different quick fix remedy! I would say that a group of 12 people could easily be fed this cake because it is soooo rich.
Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients:

12 ounces 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
6 large eggs
1 c. (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 c. Frangelico or other hazelnut liqueur, divided
1 c. finely ground hazelnuts (ground in processor; about 5 ounces)
1 t. coarse kosher salt
1 c. chilled heavy whipping cream
Chopped toasted hazelnuts

Directions:

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter 9-inch diameter spring form pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Wrap outside of pan tightly with 3 layers of heavy-duty foil. Combine chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water.
Whisk eggs, golden brown sugar, and 1/4 cup Frangelico in large bowl to blend. Add chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Stir in ground hazelnuts and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Place spring form pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of spring form pan. Pl;ace in oven and tent spring form pan loosely with foil Bake until cake is set in center and top is dry to touch, about 1 1/2 hours (top of cake will remain shiny). Remove cake from roasting pan; remove foil from top and outside of pan. Cool cake in pan on rack. Chill cake until cold, about 3 hours.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Using electric mixer, beat whipping cream and remaining 1/4 cup Frangelico in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Cut cake into wedges. Transfer to plates. Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts.
This recipe came from the 08' Bon Appetit Magazine.

A little Steak, A little Shrimp, A little Fun

Wine reduction may be simple if you are a cook who is learning to be a chef and you have to repeat the process 200 times in a semester. If you are me with hungry people to feed and they don't have so much patience or really want to hear. . ."can you give me a minute, I think I am going to redo this part" without thinking that maybe you now live in a third world because starvation has set in and loud sighing has become the new language of choice, then you may just do the best you can the first time and call it good! I made a wine reduction out of Merlot. Not just any Merlot. This Merlot won a silver medal in 2003. I opened the bottle of wine and let it breath for about an hour. No, I didn't let it breath so that I could cook the stuffings out of it but because I was only using 1 1/2 cups of the wine and the rest was going to be savored with dinner. I think my efforts were going rather smoothly. Steaks cooked and set on a platter with a wedge of Boursin cheese set on top of each steak to melt. First sign of a problem? Cheese is not melting. Pour Merlot into the skillet and mix with steak flavorings in bottom of pan. The idea is to reduce the wine into a sauce consistency. It was suppose to only take about 5 minutes. I did reduce the wine but the sauce was not as thick as I thought it was suppose to get. The addition of butter and herbs really brought everything together but I wish I didn't feel like I had to rush the whole process because people were telling me that they were starving and that I really didn't need to go all out. I should have let everyone else fix peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and took my own Damn time. I don't want to throw a dinner together at night. I get bored and there is no excitement. I like to have something to look forward too when I cook. I don't think I am asking a lot! I mean, I could cook a bag of Top Ramen and throw a bag of frozen veggies in it and call that cooking but then my stove would feel SO offended. I really want to make this again, but this time I will GIVE myself more time to do the recipe. I had all the ingredients pre-measured and waiting their turn but sometimes cooking is about patience and allowing the cooking process to actually work its' magic. Just like custard. If you rush custard, you have custard syrup instead of custard pudding. Letting things come together requires drinking the wine while the dinner cooks. . .so that you are calm and relaxed. All those other voices just seem to fade away. =) Okay, they don't but I feel better now.

RibEye Steaks with Boursin and Merlot Sauce

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil, divided

3 9 to 10-ounce RibEye Steaks, rimmed (about 1-inch thick)

1/4 of 5.2 ounce package Boursin or other French garlic cheese cut, into 3 wedges

1 1/2 c. Merlot or other fruity red wine

1/4 c. chilled butter, cut into small pieces

2 t. chopped fresh Italian Parsley

2 t. chopped fresh chives plus whole chives for garnish

Directions:

Heat olive oil in heavy skillet over edium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to platter; top each with 1 cheese wedge. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Pour off drippings from skillet; add wine to skillet and boil over high heat until reduced to a generous 1/2 cup, scraping up browned bits, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add butter and stir until melted. Mix in parsley and chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over steaks. Garnish with whole chives.

Included with dinner was:

Romaine with Viniagrette

Shrimp marinated in Beer and herbs

Baked Potato with sour cream and herbs

Fried Egg and Sausage Ciabatta Breakfast Pizzas

I had a LOT of fun making these cut little breakfast pizzas. I found the recipe in the New Bon Appetit magazine and since I am always looking for new ideas on the ol breakfast theme, I thought I would give it a try. Sunny side up eggs were easy to take out of the pan because you let them sit in the pan for a couple of minutes while the pizzas bake. The whole recipe was easy and the end result was fun to eat. I found that picking this contraption up with my fingers was easier to eat then using a knife and fork because Ciabatta bread toasted is a little harder to cut without making a mess out of the egg. Try it and you'll see. I'm terrible in that I love food that I can eat with my fingers. Sushi would be better to me if it were polite to use my fingers because the little molded rice bundles with toppings look perfect for fingers. I don't know if you have guessed by now but chopsticks are still a work in progress! The last time I went to a Japanese restaurant, the room was packed full of people and the group I was with were all seated at a large round table situated in the middle of the restaurant. Food was ordered for me by friends from Japan and, of course, I am all excited and nervous. . .uhmmm, no forks present. Just chopsticks. It's okay, I have the basics down. Food is served and would you believe that it seemed like all the food looked slippery? Yep, first bite I tried to take, the slippery little bugger flew out of my chopsticks and landed several tables away! I didn't know you could feel your face turn each shade of red and for that long! Of course, now everyone is giving me chopstick lessons. . .after they caught their breath from laughing. I have practiced at home since then and I am not overly excited to try these skills anytime soon at another restaurant. Yeesh!

Okay, I am back on track again. Breakfast! I loved this combination because I can change it up for different twists on flavor just like pizza. Being that I absolutely adore cheese, I can see all kinds of different combinations of cheeses being tried on this along with different kinds of meat toppings. I forgot to serve the pizza with hot sauce but then I didn't know any different at the time and loved it!

P.S. . .I cut this recipe in half because there were not 8 people present. Easy to do!

Ingredients:

1 loaf ciabatta bread (about 1 pound)

1 c. chopped green onions

8 T. olive oil, divided

8 ounces sliced hot pepper Monterey Jack Cheese

1 Pound spicy or sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

8 Large eggs

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut bread horizontally in half. Place bread halves, cut side up, on sperarate baking sheets. Mix onions and 6 Tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve 2 Tablespoons onion oil and spread remaining onion oil over bread. Top with cheese.

Saute' Italian sausages in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with spoon, about 7 minutes. Divide sausage among bread halves. Bake pizzas until cheese melts and bread begins to crisp, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoon oil in each of 2 large skillets over medium-high heat. Crack 4 eggs into each skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let eggs stand in skillets while pizzas bake.

Arrange 4 eggs atop each pizza. Spoon reserved onion oil over eggs. Cut each pizza between eggs into 4 pieces. Serve with a little hot sauce.

Behind the Scenes of "A Look Back"

As 2007 wound down a couple weeks ago, we did a "year in review" of sorts here at Runaway Box, highlighting some of our most enjoyed videos, and featuring all new introductions from your favorite Runaway Box people, Mike, Woody, Andrew, and Thad.

Obviously Thad couldn't make it, as he is under house arrest (and animated, therefore not real), but here are some pictures from that magical shoot.

Here is Andrew as "Marty". The green vest and bow tie are meant to be reminiscent of the walls in Marty's house.

Check out the coat tails on Mike's suit. Mike was quick to point out his theory of "The longer the coat tails, the bigger the douchebag." Unfortunately, we never saw them in frame.

Woody introducing "Elevator Music". None of these introductions were written beforehand; they were all made up on the spot.

Mike takes a load off after a strenuous three minutes on his feet.

Woody had to come out from behind that curtain 392482375483 times. I counted.

Here you go, superfans. Make this one your wallpaper.

Leave comments, and subscribe to our youtube channcel, youtube.com/runawaybox!

Behind the Scenes of "A Look Back"

As 2007 wound down a couple weeks ago, we did a "year in review" of sorts here at Runaway Box, highlighting some of our most enjoyed videos, and featuring all new introductions from your favorite Runaway Box people, Mike, Woody, Andrew, and Thad.

Obviously Thad couldn't make it, as he is under house arrest (and animated, therefore not real), but here are some pictures from that magical shoot.

Here is Andrew as "Marty". The green vest and bow tie are meant to be reminiscent of the walls in Marty's house.

Check out the coat tails on Mike's suit. Mike was quick to point out his theory of "The longer the coat tails, the bigger the douchebag." Unfortunately, we never saw them in frame.

Woody introducing "Elevator Music". None of these introductions were written beforehand; they were all made up on the spot.

Mike takes a load off after a strenuous three minutes on his feet.

Woody had to come out from behind that curtain 392482375483 times. I counted.

Here you go, superfans. Make this one your wallpaper.

Leave comments, and subscribe to our youtube channcel, youtube.com/runawaybox!