Super Burger, Cucina Paradiso

By biteclub

An opening and a re-opening:

– Penngrove’s dining scene continues to boom with the addition of The Original Superburger which opened last night. If the name sounds familiar, it’s a sibling to Santa Rosa’s popular Original Superburger on Fourth Street. The menu’s the same. Hours are 11-8 M-Sat, 11-3 Sunday. A spy who was on the scene last night said the restaurant sold out of burgers within a couple hours of opening. Penngrovers must be hungry! 10070 Main, #A (where the Mexican restaurant used to be), Penngrove.

– Cucina Paradiso, a longtime favorite Petaluma Italian eatery has moved to their new location at 114 Petaluma Blvd. North. Insiders tell BiteClub that they closed the Eagle Shopping Center location after Thursday night’s dinner and carried all their chairs and tables over the bridge to the redone Moreda’s Sporting Goods. Says my source, “They have retrofitted it out splendidly. We stopped in to congratulate
them last night and you’d have thought the place had been open for
months!” Congrats. 

Peanut Butter Bon Bons

By biteclub

Submitted by Teena Hardee

MIX TOGETHER:
2 LB BAG OF CONFECTIONER’S SUGAR
2 STICKS OF BUTTER (SOFTENED)
3 CUPS OF PEANUT BUTTER

BLEND UNTIL SOFT. IF TOO DRY YOU MAY ADD A LITTLE MILK TO MIXTURE.

ROLL INTO BALLS AND PUT IN FREEZER WHILE YOU MAKE THE CHOCOLATE COATING.

CHOCOLATE COATING IS TWO BAGS OF SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS.  PLACE IN MICROWAVE UNTIL MELTED.

REMOVE BALLS FROM FREEZER AND DIP INTO CHOCOLATE.  PLACE ON WAX PAPER TO SET.

TASTE A LOT LIKE REESES PEANUT BUTTER CUPS – ONLY BETTER CAUSE THEY’RE MADE WITH LOVE :o)

Petite Cheesecakes

By biteclub

Submitted by Teena Hardee

You will need:
1 – 2 cans Cherry Pie Filling and or Blueberry Pie Filling (whatever you like on top of your cheesecake)

Blend together well till light and fluffy:
Two 8oz pkgs. Cream Cheese -softened
¾ Cup Sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place a mini vanilla wafer into tassy cup holder (mini cupcake holders).  Fill remainder of cup with about 1 Tablespoon of cream cheese mixture.  Bake for 15 minutes in 350 degree oven till firm center.
After they cool, place two cherries or a few blueberries on top and serve.

Great for parties because they are easy to eat and require no utensils – just pop it in your mouth and enjoy :o)

Eau de Flame Broiled?

By biteclub

flame.jpgOf all the things a man can smell like, is a Whopper all that bad?

Just in time for the holidays, Burger King has release “Flame”, a body spray for men (or burger-loving women) with just a hint of flame-broiled goodness. And it will only set you back a value-menu priced $4.

According to the website, firemeetsdesire.com, “The WHOPPER sandwich is America’s favorite burger. FLAME by BK captures the essence of that love and gives it to you. Behold the scent of seduction, with a hint of flame-broiled meat.” Mmmmmmm.

Though the mind boggles at anyone wanting to smell like a hamburger (hey, you can get the same effect just sitting in a BK for a few hours), early reports say it’s not quite as nasty as it sounds. A hint of cinnamon, a little smoky. Totally Meatastic, assuming your partner’s not a vegetarian.

You’re the king, baby.

Want it? Fill someone’s stocking with scent: http://www.rickyshalloween.com/flame_0153_body_spray_p/flame.htm

Soft Molasses Cookie recipe

By biteclub
soft molasses cookie recipe
soft molasses cookie recipeEditor’s Note: These were amazing little cookies that packed a spice-punch. I rolled them in the large sugar crystals to make them glisten. I also used the “Full-flavored” molasses to really give it the strongest flavor.

Soft Molasses Cookie Recipe

Submitted by Jennifer D
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Cream together shortening and brown sugar.
Stir in egg and molasses and mix well.
Fold in dry ingredients and stir.
Cover and chill till firm (1-2 hours).
Preheat oven to 350°.
Roll dough into small balls and roll in white sugar.
Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350° for 9-10 minutes.
Leave on sheet one minute until set.
Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Cake cookies

By biteclub

Submitted by Rosalind Sandler

1 Duncan Hines moist yellow cake mix
1/2 C oil
2 large eggs

Mix until blended
Add: fruit, candy, nuts, whatever and mix

Drop on parchment cover cookie sheets by rounded teaspoon
Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.

(I used golden and dark raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots and
walnuts pieces. I plumped up the fruit in a bowl with 3T water in the
microwave for 2 minutes and let it sit covered for 1/2 hour before
adding)

The cookies are pretty and very tasty and way too easy!

Ricotta Cookies

By biteclub

ricotta.jpgSubmitted by Jill Engvaldsen

I have been making these cookies since I was not quite a teenager and
they’ve always been a hit. Most crinkle their noses… Ricotta Cookies?
and then they get quiet as they bite into these moist and lovely
cookies, wonderful with tea!

CREAM the following:
1/2 lb butter
2 C Sugar (vary based on taste, 1-2C)
2 T Vanilla
3 Eggs

Add:
1 lb Ricotta Cheese

Add Dry Ingredients:
4 Cups Flour
1 tsp BP
1 tsp Salt

Bake at 350 degrees
10-15 minutes
sprinkle with powdered sugar

Sweet Treats for the holidays

By biteclub

Not everyone is culinarily gifted when it comes to baking. And trust me, I understand.
We all want to be Martha Stewart this time of year. The Food Network and mommy guilt get the best of us. Dusty mixers and aprons see the light of day. Tragically, it all too often ends in tears and kitchen disaster. I know.
Steaming in my garbage can are three gritty, greasy batches of failed
fudge — a ridiculously over-ambitious effort at seasonal kindness that
cost me $25 in butter, sugar, vanilla, gourmet chocolate and potato
chips (don’t ask).  Not to mention Marshmallow Fluff in places Fluff should never be.
So here’s Plan B. Which maybe should have been Plan A: Call in the professionals.
The elves at Sift Cupcakery are currently taking orders for the world’s cutest desserts, uh, ever.  For $45, you can get a dozen painstakingly designed cupcakes in either a “holiday” or “Christmas” theme. We’re not talking about a few sprinkles and a plastic Santa — but tiny works of holiday art. Chomp into a skiing snowman,  gingerbread house, cup of hot cocoa, a frosting tree, the Grinch or perfect peppermint candy.
New seasonal flavors include Snickerdoodle, Mr. Man (gingerbread with cinnamon cream cheese frosting), Peppermint Twist (Red Velvet with peppermint frosting), and Knock Your SOX off (think Boston Cream Pie). Sift Cupcakery, 7582 Commerce Blvd., Cotati, 707.792.1681.
bouche.jpgChloe’s is offering an authentic Buche de Noel, a traditional French pastry “yule log”. Alas, this delicious little cord is filled with vanilla sponge cake, chocolate butter cream and chocolate ganache. Meringue mushrooms and chocolate bark make Marc Pisan’s one of my favorite. Ever. The cake serves 10-12. Chloe’s French Cafe, 3883 Airway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707.528.3095, $34.75. Call ahead.
What are some of your favorite local holiday treats? Let me know!
Related Links

Cindy’s Christmas Cookies

By biteclub

Cookies
1 c butter or margarine
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1/2 t almond ext. (optional)
2 1/2 c flour
1 t soda
1 t cream of tarter
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Cover, chill 2 hours. Roll dough and cut into shapes.. Bake 7-8 min. (or until light brown around the edges) at 375 degrees.
Frosting
1/2 c butter or margarine
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
2 t vanilla
food coloring if desired
Mix well and frost cookies.
Enjoy!

Madeleine’s from Renee Pisan (Chloe’s French Cafe)

By biteclub

_madeline.jpgEditor’s Note: These are the real deal. A couple of cooking hints–measuring by weight can be a little challenging for the home cook, but its worth investing in a little kitchen scale for recipes like this. More and more bakers (especially good ones) insist that you measure by weight to get the most accurate results. 8oz of eggs is about 4 or 5 eggs, depending on the size.

Buttering the molds almost to excess is also critical if you want the cookies to have the nice shell-imprint. My first two batches stuck a bit. Finally, don’t overfill the molds. The cookies will rise a bit and if they’re too full, the overflow will stick to the pan. The best batch were just filled to the rim of the molds.

Ingredients
8 oz            Eggs
8 oz            Sugar
¼ tsp            Sea salt
8 oz            Cake flour
8 oz            Unsalted butter (melted)
2 tsp.            Lemon zest
1 tsp            Orange zest

Yield    approx 4-5 dozen madeleines

Process
Using a mixer with whip attachment beat eggs, sugar and salt at high speed until they are very light yellow in color and thick. This may take up to 10 minutes of mixing time.
Gently fold in the sifted flour by hand using a soft rubber spatula. Once the flour is incorporated gently fold in melted unsalted butter, lemon and orange zest. Do not overwork the batter by folding too much.

Well grease traditional Madeleine shell-shaped molds and distribute the batter evenly.
This will work with other small shaped molds as well, such as, mini bundt or mini muffin pans.

Bake 375F for approximately 12-15 minutes or until nice golden color appears. Remove from pans when cool enough to touch, but still warm.
Lightly dust with confectioners sugar when cool.