Pastel de Cuatro Leches

This sweet wonder made it into Saveur's tenth annual 100 issue and one taste will tell you just why. This dense triple-milk (condensed, evaporated, heavy cream) soaked cake is perfection. Saveur offers up a delicious version of dulce de leche sold by Zingerman's (LOVE Zingerman's!), but I made my own at home with a can of sweetened condensed milk.

There are several ways to go about it:

Put two holes in the top of the can and set in an ovenproof pan with water poured in to halfway up the side of the can. Place this in the oven at 250 degrees F for about 4 hours until it's dark and thick.

Cut the whole top off of the can and cover loosely with foil and proceed as above.

Pour into a pie plate, cover with foil and put in a water bath as above.

Pour into a heavy saucepan and put over low heat. Stir very often until the right color and consistency (dark caramel color and spreadable consistency). This still takes 45 minutes to an hour and needs constant attention.

Or buy it. See above.

Sunday Dinner

Number one son is sick today so chicken soup is on the menu.

*After I got the soup together I had to come back and update with a photo. There may be no one else who feels this way, but I think this is beautiful.


Chicken Soup
Cheese Scones
Nana's Apple Cake

Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken-2 to 3 lbs or more
1 large onion-cut in eighths
3 large carrots-cut in chunks
4 large celery stalks-cut in chunks
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
5-6 whole garlic cloves-peeled
1 tsp dried dill

Place all in a large pot-add cold water to cover. Bring
to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for several
hours until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are
soft. Strain all and chop veggies and chicken to add
back to the pot. Add noodles or rice and simmer until
done.

Best part about this recipe is this-you can use almost
any version of the above ingredients that you want and
still get almost the same results. You can use dried or
fresh herbs-dried or fresh onion-a whole roasting chicken
or a whole frying chicken or even just parts as long
as the bones are attached. You can add turnip in small
amounts or even parsnips. Chicken soup is incredibly
versatile and almost everyone has their own favorite
version.

Cheese Scones

2 c flour
3/4 c grated Parmesan
2 t baking powder
1 t dried Oregano-crumbled
1/4 t salt
4 T butter-chilled-cut into small pieces
1/2 c milk
2 eggs-lightly beaten
1 t Tabasco
3/4 c finely chopped onion

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large bowl mix the flour,
cheese, baking powder, oregano and salt.
Cut in the butter until the mixture
resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, stir together the milk, eggs and
Tabasco sauce. Make a well in the center of the dry
ingredients and add the milk mixture, stirring to
combine. Mix in the onion. The dough will be sticky.

Lightly butter a baking sheet. With lightly floured
hands, pat the dough into a 9 inch circle in the
center of the baking sheet.
Cut the circle into 8 wedges.
Bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, or
until lightly browned.

Nana's Apple Cake

5-6 apples peeled,cored,sliced on bottom of 9x9 baking pan.
Mix together 1c. flour
1/2c. sugar
1t. baking powder
1 egg
1/3c. margarine or shortening

Press over apples and top with cinnamon
and sugar.
Bake 375 for 30 minutes

From Emma Keyes, my husbands late grandma