On What’s Been Cooking

In which cooking is discussed and recipes are given.

I enjoy cooking.  Whether I am grilling out, baking, chopping and seasoning, roasting or even throwing some stuff in a crock pot and walking away it is always an enjoyable experience.  My familiarity with a recipe doesn’t matter either, I’m just as happy stumbling through a new recipe as I am making something that I know so well that I can cook with my eyes closed¹.

There is something rewarding about the act of cooking.  It probably has to do with my limited proficiency when it comes to the arts.  I can’t draw or paint so when I want to create something is usually though cooking (or writing).   Here is the thing though, I’m not as good at is as I would like.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I can make some food that will rock your face off John Travolta and Nicolas Cage style².  But the fact remains when it comes to knowing what flavors will best compliment each other or cutting down the heat of a spicy dish I am a novice.  If you would like some proof just come watch me as I attempt to chop onions, always an embarrassing affair.  So certainly there is still a lot I have to learn, which is why when a recipe turns out it is pretty exciting and I look forward to making again to try and add my own spin, or to streamline the process, or even to devise a better “all around” meal.

Recently I had the opportunity to make a couple of things for the first time and I wanted to share them with you.  We’ll start with dessert³.

Last weekend my friend Mary Beth, and her friend Kate (I think), had a wine and dessert party.  I thought it would be fun to get a little creative with my dessert.  However, I was also craving cupcakes.  Cupcakes though are not normally creative, though they can be.  So I went in search of a new take on cupcakes that wouldn’t be too big of a headache.  That is when I discovered something mind blowing.  Chocolate-chip cookie-dough cupcakes.  What exactly is a CCCDC?  Exactly what it sounds like, a cupcake with cookie dough in the center.  It is gluttonous, and tasty.


Here’s how you make them.  First you need to whip up some cookie dough⁴.  Once that’s done form them into little tablespoon sized balls and freeze them for two hours.  Once your two hours are up grab a box of yellow cake mix (it’s okay this time) and follow the directions on the box.  Fill your cupcake tins 2/3’s of the way and place a doughball in each cup.  Throw them in the oven for 17-20 minutes, when they are done get your frost on⁵.  You can find the original recipe here.  Next time I make these I am going to try making everything from scratch (maybe not the frosting) and I’m going to go with chocolate cake with white icing to see if I can get my teeth to fall out of my head at the same time I slip into a diabetic coma.

So recipe part two starts with a completely different cooking experience.  A week or so ago Carrie and I made some spicy sweet-potato soup that called for pureed chipotles.  Unfortunately we only needed 2 tablespoons so we had a bunch left.  Jump to this week, Tim, Carrie and I had been talking about making pork chops for a while now and I decided enough is enough, Tuesday they were getting grilled no matter what.  I also knew we needed to use some of the chipotle puree, at first I thought a marinade would work the best but after a while I landed on a glaze.  A cranberry chipotle glaze to be exact.  Here is the recipe:


In a small sauce pan heat, over low stirring frequently:

• One cup cranberry sauce, from can
• 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons pureed chipotles

Light grill, allow charcoal to heat until white.  Brush pork chops (x4) with olive oil and sprinkle with crushed black pepper patted on.  Grill on each side for three minutes.  Brush on glaze and grill for an additional three minutes on each side.  Remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes⁶.

These were some of the best pork chops that I have ever had, there was a prefect balance of sweet and hot.  The only thing that didn’t turn out great was our side dish.  We made a quick stir-fry with some stuff we had around the house.  It was way too spicy and didn’t go well with the pork.  Next time I make this I will grill some asparagus and red potatoes along side the pork chops and have a little white rice on the side.  That would be outstanding.

So those are my recipes, I hope you enjoy them.  I guess the only thing to do now is to ask, what’s cooking with you?
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¹ Not that I would do that, it sounds dangerous.
² I want to take his face…off.
³ One of the joys of being an adult.
⁴ From scratch please, no tubes or break’n’bakes, those are for busters.
⁵ Let these dudes cool completely before you try and frost them, you will thank me later.
⁶ That tip comes to you courtesy of Alton Brown.