Beef Fillet with Pommes Duchesse and Veg

• Seared Fillet of Beef
• Herbed Pommes Duchesse
• Carrot Puree
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Glazed Cherry Tomatoes
• Beurre Rouge
• Balsamic Pearls

Chicken Fricasse

Chicken Fricasse
1/2 cup butter
2 medium onions, small diced
3 medium carrots, small diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup leftover cooked potatoes (mashed or small cubes)
liquid from 1 can of peas
3 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 can peas
butter, as needed
milk, as needed
salt and pepper, to taste

 Heat the butter in a large frying pan or pot over medium heat.
Add the onion and carrot, reduce heat and sweat until vegetables are tender.
Stir in the flour to coat.

Pour in the milk and stir until thickened.
Stir in the pea liquid.

Allow stew to simmer and reduce.
Add in the chicken, heat through, then stir in the peas.
Adjust consistency and richness with additional butter and milk.
Season to taste.

Best served as vol-au-vent. See tomorrow's post. 

Carrot Carrot Cake

I've actually made quite a few carrot cakes in my time, but here is a classic one. The carrot cake is just a plain one - no additions of walnuts, raisins, coconut, pineapple, or anything else. It is moist and tasty. The cream cheese icing is the best one I've made yet. And I opted for a classic, four layer, modestly decorated version.

Carrot Carrot Cake
2 cups packed grated carrot
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup oil
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated (white) sugar 
3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon(or your favorite spice, or omit)
1 batch best cream cheese frosting (see tomorrow's post)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8 or 9 inch round pans.
Mix together the carrot, applesauce, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir in the sugar, then the remaining dry ingredients. Spread batter evenly in prepared pans.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until cake tests clean. Cool in pans ten minutes, then gently unmold onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Slice each cake in half horizontally. 

Place one layer down on a plate or cake board. Spread with an even layer of cream cheese frosting.*
Repeat layers until all are used. Then completely frost the top and sides of the cake.**
For the carrots and decorations, divide the remaining icing in three, keep one portion white, color one portion light green and the remaining portion light orange.

To decorate my carrot cake, I used an icing comb to create lines on the side of the cake.
I added a white shell border around the bottom using an open star tip.
I added alternating white rosettes around the top - big and small.
Then I piped carrots using a plain open round tip, and the greens using a leaf tip.
Just for a little more color and decoration I used a drop flower tip to pipe orange flowers on the side of the cake and a grass tip to add some green grass. 

* With a tall, heavy, rich cake like this I personally do not like to put a lot of icing in between layers. I think there is enough icing on the top and sides of the cake and with the decorations. Therefore I put enough frosting just to keep the layers together. However, some bakers recommend layers of 2:1 cake to filling or even 1:1 with lighter cakes.

**Depending on how good you are at frosting cakes you may need to do a layer of 'dirty icing' before frosting the final layer. 

Carrot Cake With Raspberry Coulis

Carrot Cake + Cream Cheese Frosting + the very best raspberry coulis ever. It may look messy, but it is certainly delicious.

Skills - Secondary Cooking Carrot Cake

Day Two, group two cooking carrot cake dessert with icing and decor of choice and fresh fruit.

Vegan Carrot Cake with Broiled Coconut Icing

Vegan Carrot Cake
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup oil
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated (white) sugar 
3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
spices, as desired 1-3 teaspoons: ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
Topping
1 cup coconut butter
1 cup sweetener of choice
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch rectangular (or two 8 or 9 inch round or square pans) with parchment paper. 
Mix together the carrot, applesauce, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir in the sugar, then the remaining dry ingredients. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan(s).
Bake for 20-30 minutes until cake tests clean. No need to cool before topping.
Topping: Melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the sweetener. Spread evenly over the cake, sprinkle with coconut, and brown under the broiler until golden. Serve warm or cool.

Substitution Notes:
Cake
- For a healthier cake, replace the oil with additional applesauce or other fruit or vegetable puree, or even a nut butter.
- Change the flour to a whole wheat, spelt, oat, nut, or gluten free flour. This should not affect the rising in this recipe.
- Replace the sugar with dates, maple syrup, or another natural sweetener. Or use coconut sugar to amp up the coconut flavor.
- Change up the flavors of the spices and vanilla extract.
- Stir in some dried fruit, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips as desired.
Topping
- The sweetener depends upon how sweet you would like the topping, and cake overall, to be. A granulated sugar will add a gritter texture than a liquid sugar.
- Try using coconut flakes instead, and use more or less as desired. Mix in some chopped nuts as well, if desired.

Carrot Puree Two

Now, if you would prefer a different kind of carrot puree, look no further. This carrot puree follows the exact same recipe and procedure as Carrot Puree One in yesterday's post, the only difference being the flavors added in at the end. 

This carrot puree is definitely much lighter in color. As soon as a little bit of acid and butter are added, this lightens the color. To make a lighter carrot puree, add an acid for tanginess (any type of vinegar or citrus juice), a fat for richness (whole butter, browned butter, flavored oil, or cream), some sweetness (white sugar is best to retain the light color), spices (white pepper, paprika, garlic, onion, etc.) and salt.

Carrot Puree is pictured here with Sliced Seared Duck Breast, Grilled Asparagus, Duck Jus, Parmesan Gnocchi, and Microgreens.

The carrot puree I made here has white wine vinegar, whole butter, heavy cream, white pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt. I just add these in when pureeing. This created an awesome tasting carrot puree that a few people told me was reminiscent of ketchup but much better. The white wine vinegar added a nice sweetness to balance the richness of the butter and cream. This carrot puree is also delicious hot or cold or by the spoonful.

Carrot Puree One

Over the past three months, I have made carrot puree at least seven times, and each time I liked it better than the last version. The secret to a really great carrot puree is to take a stack of carrots (they can be the biggest, ugliest carrots if you wish), peel them, trim off the ends and divide them into two piles. Juice one pile, and roughly chop the other pile. Aim to juice almost twice as many carrots as you chop. It doesn't really matter how roughly they are chopped as that's the beauty of a puree. 

Now cook the carrots in their own juice in a pot. Try to choose a size that allows the carrots to be completely submerged in the juice. Top it up with a tiny bit of water if desired. Bring to a boil and cook the carrots until nearly all the juice is gone - you want the pot to go almost dry so the carrots will begin to caramelize and sweeten. If preferred, you can cut the carrots smaller so they cook more quickly and retain more of the juice for pureeing. Puree the carrots, adding just as much water as needed to form a smooth puree (Vitamix or other high power blenders are AWESOME for this).

Carrot Puree is pictured here with Seared Squid Tube, Butter Poached Lobster Tail, Lobster Claw and Chive Salad, Charred Brussels Sprout Petals, Pickled Shallots, and Grapefruit Beurre Blanc.

 If you would like a dark, vibrant, heavier carrot puree that really highlights the flavor of the carrots, simply add water, salt, ground white pepper, and granulated sugar as needed to achieve the desired taste and consistency. You may not want to add any sugar at all, or you may prefer to use sugar syrup or maple syrup, and in this case, use less water. White pepper is the key so you don't see little specks in the puree and it really, really, highlights the flavor so be generous and create a nice peppered carrot puree. The final step is to pass the puree through a chinois to create the optimal, smooth texture.

This puree is great reheated (bring to a gentle boil), cold, or thinned out a bit more, it would make a great base fir a soup. I eat it by the spoonful like caramel sauce.

Caille en Sarcophage

Here is the main course I made for my black box exam: Pan Roasted Truffle-Scented Quail with Crisp Puff Pastry, Rosemary Mushroom Jus Lié, Glazed Carrot Curls, Cilantro Pesto.

I found the inspiration for this dish online, which means "Quail in Cage" and refers to a fancy, expensive version of quail sitting in puff pastry. 

I made my own puff pastry shells.

For the quail, I stuffed it with foie gras, seasoned it with salt and pepper, pan seared it, roasted it, and finished it with truffle oil. I didn't bother tying the legs up or anything.

For the sauce I made a quick rosemary and mushroom jus lie by sweating mushrooms in red wine, and reducing it with jus and rosemary.

On the side, I made a butternut squash puree and cilantro parmesan pesto for the plate, and butter-poached carrot curls.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Vegan mac and cheese. Some may call it an oxymoron, fake, or a sin. But I call it delicious. It doesn't have that same 'sharpness' you get from mac and cheese using old cheddar, but it does have a similar flavor profile and the same look and texture, it's hard to tell the difference. This is a hearty but healthy comfort food meal that can be on the table within thirty minutes. The procedure seems lengthy, but only because I've explained it in detail. It's really only a matter of cooking and puréeing. The key here is a good food processor or Vitamix if you have one - my sauce was not quite as smooth as I would have liked since I don't have a great food processor. Cooking the veg slightly longer if you have the time may also help alleviate part of this problem. 

I can't stress this enough - even if you are not vegan - you need to try this recipe!

Vegan Mac and Cheese
2 medium white potatoes o use one large sweet potato, diced
2 small carrots, diced
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 cup cashews (preferably raw, unsalted)
1 package (4 serving size) dry elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup coconut milk (from a carton or can - doesn't have to be the thick kind)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon prepared yellow or Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
salt, to taste
cracked black pepper, for garnish

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile dice your veg - they don't need to be precise at all since they will just be blitzed in the end, but the smaller you make them, the quicker they cook, so I recommend spending the extra time chopping and not cooking.

Add the veg and cashews to the water and cook for 15-30 minutes until just tender. You don't want them mushy, but just soft enough to easily purée. I throw the cashews in here as well, in lieu of soaking them overnight, as is called for in many vegan recipes (cheeses, cheesecake, etc.) These is just for convenience sake and also to make the cashews extra soft for processing.

Once the veg are cooked, take them out of the water but don't throw the water away! Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove the veg, then save the water for cooking the pasta - this is economical, saves time as the water will still be hot, and reserves all the nutrients from the veg and infuses into the pasta. Simply return the water to a boil, if needed, and add some salt. Then add the macaroni and cook to the desired doneness. 

While the pasta is cooking, transfer the veg and cashews (well drained) to a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Process until very smooth. Check consistency, and add some pasta water, more coconut milk, or oil as needed, and adjust the seasoning. 

Drain the pasta well, return to the pot, toss with the sauce, and serve immediately! You may also choose to transfer to a casserole dish and bake for a more traditional mac and cheese, but I like mine straight from the pot as I find it creamier. Baked mac and cheese is good for non-vegan versions where you sprinkle the top with shredded cheese and want it to melt, or if you plan to top with breadcrumbs.

Variations: You may add diced whole veg of choice, or diced and cooked vegan bacon into the mix, add more nutritional yeast, add vegan shredded cheddar, or top with pecan parmesan. Sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers would also add nice flavors.

Roasted Carrot Coconut Sauce

This is a really quick and easy sauce recipe I came up with on the fly. It is not based on any classic mother sauces, but just a light, simple contemporary sauce. It is a good accompaniment to light meats - such as fish or roasted chicken, as well as a nice sauce for vegetables. It is also good on bread and biscuits. For a sauce I was worried about working out and thought was quite simple, it certainly earned some rave reviews!

Roasted Carrot Coconut Sauce
1 large carrot, peeled
1 can (398mL) coconut milk
1 large navel orange, juiced
2 Tablespoons minced chives
salt and pepper, to taste

Roast the carrot in the oven until tender. Mash until smooth.
Meanwhile, reduce the coconut milk in a small saucepan by one half. 
Whisk together the carrot purée and coconut milk. 
Whisk in the orange juice, a little at a time, until of desired consistency and strength of orange flavor. Whisk in the chives, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about one cup of sauce.

Next time I make this sauce, I will double the recipe - one batch just isn't enough! My procedure isn't very detailed because I just made up this recipe as I went along. The oven temperature for roasting the carrot isn't important - you can do it in advance if you have something else in the oven to conserve energy - just throw the carrot in with it. If you want the sauce to have a really smooth texture, use a blender to purée the carrot or purée all of the sauce at the end. I went for a chunkier consistency and just mashed the carrot with a fork. The amount of orange juice you add and the amount you reduced the coconut milk depends on how thick you would like the sauce and how concentrated you would like the flavors. 

Sun-Dried Tomato and Bean Bisque

Lately I have been really enjoying a wide variety of soups. I don't know if it is the cold weather or my grandmother's influence, but soups have become one of my new favorite appetizers/entrées/sides. I have also learned how to make some great soups. One important technique is to sweat the mirepoix (diced vegetables, usually 50% onions, 25% celery, and 25% carrots used to provide flavor) first, without adding color, which allows the vegetables to lend their flavors better in the soup. Traditionally bisques were thickened with rice, but today roux is often used to avoid the grainy texture. Puréed vegetable soups nowadays are also referred to as bisques, as this soup is.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Bean Bisque
oil
1/2 white onion, small dice
3 coves garlic, minced
1 small stalk celery, small dice
1/2 carrot, small dice
1 small jar (120mL) sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, diced
1 can (590mL) red kidney beans with liquid
vegetable broth or water
bay leaf
paprika
rosemary
ground pepper
kosher salt

Heat a little oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat.
Add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot and sweat for a few minutes until the onion turns translucent, do not brown. Stir in the tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 20 minutes or so until vegetables are cooked and tender, but not mushy. Add broth or water as needed to thin soup out to desired consistency. You may make it as thick or thin as you like, I kept mine fairly thick. Season to taste, then purée all, some, or none of the soup, depending on what type of texture you would like to achieve. I coarsely puréed all of mine. Bring back to a simmer and adjust consistency and seasonings.

Note: The liquid from the beans provides most of the necessary liquid for this soup. If you would prefer not to use this salty liquid, use water and season to taste or a vegetable stock or broth. Any type of stock or broth may be used if there is no need for the soup to be vegetarian/vegan-friendly. 

Vegetable Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

This is a very tasty vegetarian pasta dish with a bit more elegance. It requires a few extra steps of preparation, much like making a lasagna. However, the effort is totally worth it. To shave off some preparation time, use a can or bottle of sauce and use a food processor to cut up the vegetables. This could also be prepared in advance and baked shortly before serving. Leftovers are excellent reheated. The amounts given for vegetables are only relative and may be varied - just not the vegetables cook down a lot and you barely even notice them in the cheesy filling! This should make enough filling for fourteen manicotti shells, but we have discovered that extra filling is delicious if baked in a ramekin. 

Vegetable Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
1 small can tomato sauce
14 manicotti shells, cooked and drained
1 teaspoon oil
1 medium shredded carrot (1/2 cup)
1/2 shredded zucchini (1/2 cup) 
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (one container)
1/2 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
2 cups cottage or ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Spoon a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a rectangular baking pan.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the vegetables until tender-crisp. Stir in cottage cheese. Fill each manicotti shell with this mixture, then place in the baking dish. Spoon sauce over top and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350◦F for about 40 minutes until hot.  

Lamb Stew

This is a really new recipe my parents decided to try to surprise me, based on something they saw on television (and surprisingly not on a cooking show). We rarely eat lamb, and this stew contained some other unique flavors as well. However, there is a special component to this dish. Of course the stew could just be made as is, but the real interesting technique will be shared tomorrow, which makes this a complete dish. 

Lamb Stew
1 1/2 pounds lamb pieces, cut into one inch cubes
salt and pepper to season
1/2 slab bacon or turkey or chicken bacon, sliced in small pieces 
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with liquid
4 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
3-5 medium white potatoes, cut in one inch cubes
2 carrots, sliced
1 large onion, roughly diced
2 stalks celery, chopped (optional)
1 cup small olives (optional)
1 1/2 cups red wine

The day before serving:
Season lamb with salt and pepper and combine with the bacon. In a separate bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and onion, and celery and olives if using.
Create three layers in a 5.5 quart (approximately) Dutch oven or large pot - a third of the meat, followed by a third of the vegetables, and repeat. Pour the wine over top, as well as any other spices you would like to add, depending on your personal tastes (cayenne pepper, fennel, cinnamon, coriander, bay leaf, basil, rosemary, mint, etc.). Cover and refrigerate overnight.

About 3 1/2 hours before serving:
Preheat oven to 400◦F. Bake stew, covered for 30 minutes, then reduce temperature to 275◦F and bake for an additional 2 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving (unless you are in a hurry). 

Just a few hints and tips on this dish: we found this dish incredibly salty. It is the combination of seasoning the lamb, the salty bacon, and the canned tomatoes. I would recommend using much less bacon and more lamb, using fresh tomatoes or a can for extra liquid with no salt added, only seasoning the meat with pepper, or a combination of these steps. Adding more potatoes would also bulk the dish up and absorb some of the salt. There can be plenty of flavor coming from a variety of your favorite spices. The wine adds an interesting depth of flavor, but I am no wine expert, so I cannot advise you on what type of red wine is best. This is definitely a stew, not a soup, so be sure to keep the vegetables and meat chunky. 

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

1 teaspoon olive oil

½ white onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 white potato, cubed

½ large sweet potato, cut into short sticks

1 carrot, cut into short sticks

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ can diced tomatoes, undrained

½ can chickpeas, rinsed

2 cups vegetable broth

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the next eight ingredients and cook for ten minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Add the chickpeas, broth, turmeric, and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.

This is an easy vegan supper dish that does not require too much attention, and fills the air with a spicy aroma while it simmers. It is a hearty dish for a cold night, and with two types of potatoes, it makes a very substantial full meal. There are plenty of vegetables in it and some chickpeas for protein. This could be served alone as a complete dish, or with a side salad, bread, rice, pasta, or meat side dish. 

On The Fly Fried Rice

On The Fly Fried Rice
1 teaspoon oil
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons green beans
1 large egg
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 heaping Tablespoon hummus
optional: some shredded cheese

Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until crisp-tender. Push vegetables to the outside of the pan. Beat the egg with the salt and pepper and pour into the middle of the pan. Scramble the egg until cooked, then mix with the vegetables. Stir in the rice, seasoning, and hummus and cook, stirring, until heated through. Sprinkle in the cheese, if desired. 

This is a dish I came up with quickly one night when I was in need of a quick supper using leftovers. I took the idea of fried rice and enhanced it with the ingredients I had on hand. I had a bowlful of leftover rice and some leftover green beans. I quickly chopped up some onion and carrot, used some hummus and spices I had on hand to flavor the dish, and added an egg, which is traditional in fried rice, for some protein. Obviously ingredient amounts are approximate, and ingredients and amounts can be varied to create any quick supper dish. I served my rice with some leftover toasted fish cakes on top for a complete meal.

Chocolate Carrot Mini Cupcakes

What to do with some extra carrots? They are always great in a cake, muffins, or cupcakes! In fact, you barely even notice the carrot in this recipe, as it is masked by the chocolate  Chocolate, carrot, caramel, and apple may not seem like a typical combination, but it works really well. The caramel icing is from yesterday's post. I wrote the carrot cake recipe from memory, as I no longer have the copy of it, so I hope I have remembered it accurately!

Chocolate Carrot Mini Cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose (white) or whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup oil
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease or line mini muffin tins (or use regular-sized - Pictured are some of each).
In a large bowl, mix together the first six dry ingredients.
In a separate medium bowl, mix together the four liquid ingredients. Add the liquid to the dry and mix. Stir in the carrots.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake for about 15 minutes for mini cupcakes or about 20 minutes for bigger cupcakes. 
Let cool slightly before icing.
NOTES: Recipe can also be baked in a 9x13 inch rectangular pan for about 30 minutes.
To make a regular cake, replace the cocoa with an equal amount of additional flour.

To decorate: I placed a smear of caramel frosting on each (doesn't need to be artfully spread) and a small piece of green apple. Extra caramel and green apple make a great snack!

Apple Carrot Flax Muffins

I made these muffins to have with my breakfast in place of my usual biscuit. Therefore, I made 22 fairly small muffins, but you could make them bigger if you wish. They are very nutritious and excellent spread with peanut butter. 

Apple Carrot Flax Muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup ground flaxseed
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup natural wheat bran
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large apples, shredded
3 medium carrots, shredded
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, stir together the first eleven dry ingredients. Stir in the apple and carrot.
Mix the eggs, milk, and vanilla together and add to dry mixture. Spoon into prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.  

Carrot Raisin Muffins

Carrot Raisin Muffins
1 1/3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix the first six dry ingredients. Stir in the carrots and raisins.
In a separate medium bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Divide among muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

These are some truly delicious and nutritious muffins. They are quite hearty, and would be good for breakfast, as well as a snack. My mother made these from the recipe in one of our mystery novels. She recommends adding a little extra carrots, raisins, and milk. These will make the muffins slightly moister, sweeter, and more delicious! They would also be good with semi-sweet chocolate chips in place of raisins, or with a few chopped nuts added in. The cinnamon really adds a special touch to them.

Fluke, Joanne. "Carrot-Oatmeal Muffins." Recipe. Devil's Food Cake Murder, New York: Kensington, 2011. 54-56.

Chowder (Restaurant Food)

This is another tasty dish I enjoyed at a restaurant while on vacation. It is a simple seafood chowder, a common dish you can find as an appetizer in many restaurants. No two chowders are ever the same, and whether a chowder is good or not can only be defined by your personal tastes. Of course there are also many different kinds of chowder - such as seafood chowder and corn chowder, not to be confused with cream soups, such as cream of mushroom, chicken, tomato, etc. Cream soups and chowders are similar, but not the same. Cream soups are usually fairly smooth and thinner than chowders, and are often just one simple flavor pureed with cream added. Chowders are typically thicker and chunkier, with a nice medley of different ingredients. Chowders vary in thickness and creaminess, depending on how much cream, milk, water, and stock are used. Some chowders are very chunky, while others aren't quite as hearty. Some chowders are very spicy, others are mildly flavored. Some chowders focus on just a few ingredients, while others contain many different additions. I have not actually tasted that many different chowders, but the reason this one stood out to me from the menu was the variety of generously portioned seafood the chowder contains. This chowder had cod, lobster, mussels, and shrimp, possibly even other seafood I have forgotten as well. It contained quite a bit of celery in large slices, slightly too much and too large of a cut for my liking. The carrot in the chowder was much better - finely copped, and not too much of it. I like a few vegetables in my seafood chowder, but I prefer the focus to remain on the seafood. This chowder was nicely spiced, and the right thickness, but a little too rich. The richness didn't bother me for a small cup of chowder, but I would never be able to eat a whole bowlful of this. Overall, not a bad chowder, it certainly had plenty of seafood, so I can't complain!