My Madison Bistro

I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that my introduction to dulce de leche came from Häagen Dazs, but have you had their Dulce de Leche ice cream? If you have, you’ll know what I’m talking about. This particular variety was life-changing. The ice cream itself was tasty, but I was more interested in that dulce de leche ribbon.

When I saw how easy it was to make my own dulce de leche, I knew I was in trouble. If you’ve never experienced this delight, get thee to a grocery store pronto to purchase a can of sweetened condensed milk. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Now, take your can of condensed milk and remove the label. Take out the tallest stockpot or saucepan you have. Place the can inside the pot and cover with water. Be sure the can is completely submerged and stays that way! (As long as the can is covered with water, you don’t have to worry about it exploding. Just check now and then and add water as necessary.) Bring to a boil and let it continue to boil away for about 3 1/2 hours, then turn off the heat and let the can cool to room temperature (in the water – cooling overnight works well because when you’re not conscious you needn’t worry about fighting your desire to open that can and start digging in with a spoon, right there in the middle of the kitchen, not caring that you’re burning your tongue in the process).

The result? Creamy, rich caramel. What to do with it? Use it as an ice cream topping, slather some on a banana, marble some into a brownie…or simply eat it straight up.

You could also just pop it in the fridge in a covered container and save it for a special recipe that soon will be showcased on this very blog.

Tags: dulce de leche

I had intentions last week to make a flourless brownie using almond flour. And though I figured it would taste good enough, and though I’ve waxed on about trying to keep my flour consumption down, sometimes the love of good food just wins out. Okay, very often, it wins out.

I blame Top Chef Masters. My good intentions went south while watching some of the most talented chefs in the US compete, showcasing both their cuisines and favorite dishes. I started to dream of winning the lottery, simply so that I could take a culinary tour across the country, sampling the best this talent had to offer.

Dreams of winning the lottery morphed into a hamburger with the bun, homemade pizza, and even brownies. And then I came across a recipe for brownies smothered in a peanut butter icing, and topped with a ganache. Once I cleaned up the drool from my keyboard, I asked a friend if he would like to have some.

He said no. N-O. He preferred a regular brownie.

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Tags: chocolate

Chicken fajitas and a big ol’ pitcher of margaritas just scream summer, don’t they? They’re fun, refreshing, and easy to whip up at any time. The one drawback, for me, has been that I’m not crazy about heating up my kitchen more than necessary in the summer.

And then I discovered an easy cast iron recipe in Martha Stewart Living, just perfect for making outside on the grill. Now really, why didn’t I think of that? It’s a simple 3 step process with few dishes to clean:

1. Prepare garlic chili oil and heat while working on Step 2.
2. Light gas grill, place cast iron pan on grate (if using a charcoal grill, you’ll switch steps 1 and 2). Chop vegetables and chicken, grate cheese, prepare guacamole and salsa, if desired.
3. Cook the fajitas.

Continue reading “Chicken Fajitas + Simple Guacamole”

Tags: avocado, chicken, Mexican Food

I love roasting a chicken. When I was little, I loved when my mom would roast a chicken, because it reminded me of Thanksgiving. We all know the power that food has over us, how we associate a meal or recipe with a happy memory. I get memories of family, of togetherness, of vacation, everytime I roast a chicken.

I keep that tradition alive year-round by inviting a friend over for dinner when I make my own roast chicken. It’s a perfect dinner for company, because you don’t need to spend much time in the kitchen once the bird is in the oven.

This is the dinner I look forward to each fall, when the temperatures drop, and I’m excited to turn on the oven. And though it’s still only July, we’ve had unseasonably cool temperatures, so roasted chicken is just as delicious as ever.

Continue reading “Ina’s Perfect Roast Chicken”

Tags: Barefoot Contessa, chicken