Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 8 oz packagecCream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Add vanilla mixing well. Combine flour and salt, gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Fill a 2-cup, ovenproof measuring cup with water; place in oven with tube pan. This will help keep the cake moist. Bake at 300°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Glaze-
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBS milk, to consistency

Mix together till desired consistency is reached, but should be thin. Add more milk one teaspoon at a time to get the thinness you want. Drizzle over cooled cake.

BOUNDARY ROAD BRICK CHICKEN AND COLLARD GREENS

BOUNDARY ROAD BRICK CHICKEN AND COLLARD GREENS Boundary Road is a bistro out in Washington D.C. and this mouth-watering dish is just one of the reasons why the locals keep coming back

DETAILS & INGREDIENTS

Chicken & Brine
2 cups kosher salt
2 cups brown sugar
Black pepper
1 handful fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme or sage

1 head garlic, split horizontally

1 whole hormone-free cage-free vegetarian-fed chicken, cut into quarters, carcass discarded

Salsa Verde

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped capers
1 filet anchovy, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely grated
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup olive oil

Sweet Potato Mash

6 medium red Beauregard (or any other well farmed) sweet potatoes
About 1/2 cup cider vinegar
A couple knobs cold unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Braised Collard Greens

2 Spanish onions, medium dice
Salt
4 pounds collard greens
1 smoked pigs foot or ham hock
Freshly ground black pepper
Champagne or other fine white vinegar
Canola oil

COOKING STEPS For the chicken and brine: Combine 2 gallons water, the salt, sugar, garlic, herbs and some black pepper in a large pot. Bring to a boil until the salt and sugar are dissolved, and then let cool completely. Submerge the chicken in the brine and let brine in the refrigerator for 4 hours. For the salsa verde: Whisk together the parsley, capers, anchovies, garlic and lemon zest. Slowly stream in the oil while whisking.

For the sweet potato mash: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roast the sweet potatoes until completely soft, about 1 hour 30 minutes. While still warm, peel the potatoes and add them to a food processor. With the machine running, add the vinegar, butter and salt and pepper to taste. You may need a little water to get the mixture to puree, but don't add too much. Reserve.

For the collard greens: Saute the onions in a large, wide-bottomed pan. Sprinkle with salt, and then add the greens, a bit more salt and about 1/2 cup water. Slowly cook the greens with the smoked pig's foot over low heat for at least 1 hour 30 minutes. The water will evaporate and draw the moisture from the greens. Stir occasionally and let them do their thing. Finish the dish by adjusting seasoning with salt, pepper and vinegar. Turn the oven temperature to 450 to 500 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the brine and let it rest and come to room temperature. Dry, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Get your saute pan medium hot; add a good amount of canola oil. Crispy brown skin is the goal here, so mind your heat. Don't burn it, but make sure the pan is hot enough to keep the chicken from sticking. Add your chicken skin-side down and shake the pan to make sure the skin is not sticking. Add a weight of your choice (we use antique bricks we found in our building, hence the name), and then transfer the pan to the oven. Let it roll for about 10 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken over and let it go for another 6 minutes. All ovens are different, so after the chicken rests for 4 to 5 minutes, check the temperature in the leg to make sure it is thoroughly cooked. credits: boundary road brick chicken, cooking channel source: road trip: washington d.c.

MARYLAND CRAB CAKES:

MARYLAND CRAB CAKES:

INGREDIENTS:
1 large egg
2½ tablespoons mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup finely diced celery (you’ll need one stalk)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 pound lump crab meat*
½ cup panko (Whole Foods 365 brand)
Canola oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Combine the egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; gently fold mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 crab cakes (about ½ cup each) and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with canola oil. When oil is hot, place crab cakes in pan and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve immediately with tartar sauce or a squeeze of lemon.

Quick Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.