Chocolate Chip Cookies with an Orange Twist

Yummy. But not for dogs, of course! Recipes makes about 4 dozen cookies. Feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with an Orange Twist

Ingredients

8 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)

6 ounces granulated sugar (about 1 cup)

6 ounces brown sugar (about 3/4 cup packed)

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed juice from an orange

9 ounces cake flour (about 2 cups)

4 ounces bread flour (about 3/4 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 ounces 100% cocoa bar, chopped fine

4 ounces 70% cocoa bar, roughly chopped

4 ounces 60% cocoa bar, roughly chopped

4 ounces Pecans (1 heaping cup whole), roughly chopped

4 ounces Walnuts (1 really heaping cup whole), roughly chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons zest from an orange

Instructions

1. Preheat a conventional oven to 375F or a convection to 350F.

2. Cream the room-temp butter and sugars together in a bowl. The

mixture should be light and fluffy.

3. Add each egg one at a time, mixing well after adding.

4. Add the vanilla and juice from an orange. Mix well.

5. Add the flours, salt, baking soda and cinnamon to the

bowl and mix until the batter comes together.

6. Before adding the extras, mix the nuts, chocolate and zest well

in a bowl. This ensures the orange zest is even distributed.

7. Add the extras (nuts, chocolate, zest) to the batter and mix

in until it is evenly distributed.

8. Place tablespoon sized blobs of cookie dough on to a baking

sheet lined with baking paper.

9. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes until the cookie is golden.

Brand New Pair of Roller Skates

Presenting Roxie's, CH Deep Acres Apple of My Eye, new pups. Almost 4 weeks old. Papa is ICH Alilah Jackanory bred by prominent UK fanciers.

Grilled Bread and Marinated Tomato Salad

Enjoying all the local foods this summer and this recipe is a perfect summer meal.

Grilling the bread for this panzanella (bread salad) adds a slight smokiness and crunch. Marinate the tomatoes ahead of time so all you have to do is grill the bread and assemble the salad to serve.



Grilled Bread and Marinated Tomato Salad

1 (or 2 or 3) garlic clove(s), smashed
Salt
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Freshly ground pepper
1 loaf country bread (12 ounces), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 bunches arugula (6 ounces each), stems discarded
5 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled (1 1/4 cups)

On a cutting board, using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash the garlic clove to a paste with a pinch of salt; transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, vinegar and the 3/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture stand at room temperature, stirring a few times, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Light a grill. Brush the bread with olive oil and grill over high heat until toasted and lightly charred in spots, 1 minute per side. Let cool slightly, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Add the bread and arugula to the tomatoes along with the ricotta salata and toss to combine. Serve right away.

Beautiful Mushrooms and Tibetan Terriers

Sherpa, CH Deep Acres Autumn Splendor

Were you wondering at all what we did with those beautiful morel mushrooms?

Well, before I tell you I just have to share these beautiful pics of my boy Sherpa, CH Deep Acres Autumn Splendor, in the the ring at the 2011 national specialty show.

Sherpa strutting his stuff

Now as for those mushrooms, we made fresh pasta. It was delish! A beautiful-hearty stew-like pasta.

Homemade Pasta with Morel Sauce

Pasta:
2 cups AP flour
Dash salt
6 Tblsp. water
1.5 Tblsp. Olive Oil
5 large egg yolks
water for boiling (6 quarts)

Sauce:
Olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 shallot, sliced thin (we used wild ramps!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
large handful fresh morel mushrooms (about 1.5 cups) cleaned and halved
1 tsp. dried thyme
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
salt & pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock
toasted pine nuts and parmesan for serving



combine flour and dash of salt in food processor (we used the KitchenAid mixer with dough hook and finished combining with our hands/paws). combine water, olive oil and egg yolks and stir well with a whisk. with processor running, pour egg mixture in through the chute, processing just until dough forms a ball. turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead 5 ties. shape into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

pat dough into a rectangle approx. 8" x 3", 1 " thick. Divide into 8 equal portions. working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), divide dough into 14 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms to form a 2 inch strand. put strands on a well floured pan. repeat with remaining dough.

boil 6 quarts of water. Shake excess flour off pasta and add to boiling water, cooking until done, about 1.5-2 minutes. Drain.

heat olive oil in large skillet over med. high heat. Add onion, sautee for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. make a clear spot in pan, add garlic and thyme, cook for about a minute, then add salt & pepper. Add morel mushrooms, reduce heat, cover and cook for about 4 minutes. remove cover, and cook about 2 minutes until liquid almost evaporates. clear a spot in the pan, add tomato paste, cook about a minute, then stir tomato paste in with mushroom mixture. Stir in 1 cup of veggie broth. cook for 8 minutes until very thick. add rest of veggie broth, cook for 4 minutes more until slightly thick. Turn off heat and toss sauce with cooked pasta. serve topped with toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan.

Enjoy!

What It Feels Like For a Puli

My new look for summer

Their Place in the Country

Eliot and Alexandra Angle, interior designers from Los Angeles, built a wood-shingled house inspired by local barns in a remote corner of Nova Scotia. The share the cottage with their daughter, Elefe, now 3, and their Tibetan terriers, Sturtevant and Augustus.

Michigan Morels and Ramps

Morels to make Martha Stewart proud

Ramp tops