It’s been a grueling weekend. Thanks to my lazy ass, I spent the majority of Sunday morning frantically dealing with the joys of Turbo Tax. Luckily, I’m a firm believer in the theory that with hard work, there should always be a reward, and I received mine in the form of brunch at Thistle Hill Tavern.

Bf and I haven’t been to the restaurant since they decided to extend the bar. What used to be a tiny, tucked-away corner for ordering drinks is now a sprawling wooden focal point of the restaurant. The new bar seats about the same amount of people as the remaining tables do, and it just seems more fitting considering that the place does have the word ‘Tavern’ in its name.

Despite my love for the new bar set up, bf and I brunched at one of the tables. A plate of pancakes, bacon, and sunny side up eggs doused in thyme-infused maple syrup made me forget all about the hours spent bent over the computer. There was also possibly the freshest omelet that I’ve ever had, stuffed with still-crisp spinach, marinated red peppers, mushrooms and fontina cheese.

Taxes this year are done, and my belly is happy, too.

Thistle Hill Tavern

441 Seventh Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
T: (347) 599-1262 

It’s bf’s birthday! I wanted to do something to make him feel extra special this year, and, as if to affirm my notion to do so in the form of dessert, Food Network Magazine showed up at my door with a section dedicated to a year’s worth of birthday cakes. Out of 12 cakes, it wasn’t hard to choose which I would be making. My love for chocolate is borderline obsessive, so of course it had to be the Chocolate Blackout Cake.

I know what you’re thinking: “This cake is for her boyfriend, so shouldn’t she have indulged him in one of his choice?” Judging from the slice that disappeared before I could even snap a picture, I don’t think he minded too much.

It’s dense and distinctly deep in flavor. It’s got a custard filling and is topped with ganache. It requires a security guard after baking.

Chocolate Blackout Cake

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon strongly brewed coffee

For the ganache:

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 tablespoon strongly brewed coffee

For the cake:

• Basic Chocolate Cake, baked and cooled

Other Equipment

• 9 inch round baking pans (one for each layer)
• medium sauce pan
• 1 medium heatproof bowl
•  whisk
• plastic wrap
• 1 medium bowl
• 1 large heatproof bowl
• liquid measuring cup
• spatula for spreading the frosting
• round cake pedestal or container

Instructions

Follow the Basic Chocolate Cake recipe from Food Network Magazine.

Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and egg in a medium heatproof bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk half of the hot milk into the sugar mixture, then return to the pan with the remaining milk. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl (strain through a fine-mesh sieve if it looks lumpy), then stir in the chocolate until melted. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the ganache: Put the chocolate and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Bring 1 1/2 cups heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; pour over the chocolate and let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Stir in a 1/2 tablespoon of the coffee. Pour 3/4 cup of the ganache into a liquid measuring cup and set aside at room temperature. Refrigerate the remaining ganache in the bowl until thick but not set, about 1 hour.

Assemble the cake: Put 1 cake layer on a platter; spread the filling on top, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Top with the second cake layer and press down gently.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream to the chilled ganache and beat with a mixer on medium speed until just fluffy, about 1 minute (do not overbeat). Frost the whole cake with the whipped ganache. Pour the room-temperature ganache on top, letting it drip down the sides. Let set before slicing, about 30 minutes.

Recipe, mildly altered, from Food Network

“Aw, dang. I just fudged up another batch of fudge.” <—You? Me, too.

Work had me busy over the holidays, which left me little time to make homemade Christmas candies. Luckily, I have a recipe for fudge that is fool-proof and fast. I use it year after year for that very reason. You can’t screw it up, guys! It also helps that this particular recipe produces a dense, smooth and creamy result that’s hard to find in the realm of fudge.

I brought some to share with the office this year, and my coworker loved it so much that she suggested I open a candy shop. I suggested she invest $30,000 to start it up. We’ll see how far we get with that.

No Fudge Fudge

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine
• 5 oz. can evaporated milk
• 12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
• 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Other Equipment

• 9″ square pan
• tin foil (keeps the fudge from sticking to the pan)
• a large saucepan (like one you’d boil spaghetti in)
• a good candy thermometer (Seriously, a good one. It makes a world of difference. I think that this one from Williams-Sonoma is great at staying put on your pan and measures temperature very accurately.)
• a long wooden spoon

Instructions

Line a 9″ square pan with foil. Bring the sugar, butter & milk to full rolling boil in large saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 4 minutes or until 234° F, still stirring continuously. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate chips & marshmallow creme, stirring until melted. Stir in the nuts & vanilla. Pour into the pan. Cool.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Although she dropped no hint or made no suggestion regarding the matter, I had a good feeling that my sister would surely appreciate a batch of homemade caramels, just like mom would make. Caramels were a staple at my house during Christmas time, though I rarely encountered them at other holiday shindigs. I always wondered why no one else in my family, all of whom were earnest bakers, ever attempted to make the chewy morsels. Well, it is a mystery to me no more. Through a couple of failed attempts that were either too hard or too soft, I found that caramels aren’t the easiest thing in the world to make.

Patience is required to master these little buggers, but knowing that you will soon be relishing in the delightfulness that can only be experienced when you bite into one of the deeply sweet, yet slightly salty cubes of absolute HEAVEN will help you persevere. That, the following recipe, and a few tips will help you along quite nicely, too.

Chewy Caramels

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 pound light brown sugar
• 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 2 generous pinches salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Other Equipment

• 9X9 square baking pan
• plenty of wax paper
• cooking spray
• a large saucepan (like one you’d boil spaghetti in)
• a long wooden spoon (you’ll be stirring in a hot pan for a good 20 minutes, so wooden is a must)
• an extra set of hands (the caramels can be a bit thick when you pour them into the baking pan, so having someone to spatula the rest out while you hold the pot is nice)
• a good candy thermometer that attaches to the pan

Instructions

Line the 9X9 baking pan with wax paper and cover with cooking spray. Set aside.

Heat the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt over medium heat in the large saucepan, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, continuing to stir. Heat between 234 and 240 degrees F (I’ve found that closer to 240, but never above, works best), and cook for 2 to 3 minutes at that temperature. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour into the baking pan and allow to fully cool for several hours or overnight. When cool, remove from the pan and cut into small squares, wrapping each in wax paper.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

From carefully planned strategy on timing to flat out tackling, each weekend NYC patrons find that what should be a simple weekend morning of mimosas and Eggs Benedict has one feeling a bit worse for the wear (unlimited cocktails aside). Brunching in New York City is a sport. If you want to participate, there must be training involved beforehand. Amateurs think that merely forcing themselves to wake early after a night of imbibing until 3 a.m. will do, but in this city they would go hungry on Sunday.

Now, all of this exertion may be for naught. Why? Because Char No. 4, one of the best brunch spots and whiskey bars (makes for a good hair-of-the-dog cocktail) in Brooklyn, will be taking reservations for brunch beginning New Year’s day. Char No. 4′s amped up classic brunch fare along with a few Southern surprises like shrimp & grits can now be enjoyed at a whim. Just give the restaurant a call or head to their website to make a reservation, and you won’t have to worry about wearing your brass knuckles to dine midmorning next weekend.

Check out Char No. 4′s brunch menu

Char No. 4 ⎟ 196 Smith St. (btw Baltic & Warren) Brooklyn, NY 11201 ⎟ 718.643.2106 ⎟ www.charno4.com

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Pumpkin Cinnamon Pancakes

You’ll want to toss that notoriously coveted Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte when you’ve got a steaming plate of these fluffy, yet moist Pumpkin Spice Pancakes from Eliza Domestica in front of you. The pumpkin is what gives the cakes their succulent dessert-like texture. Top it off a generous glob of butter, pecans and warm syrup; I’d say you’ve got yourself a plateful of heaven.

Crispy Cream-Braised Potatoes & Fennel

It is my opinion that fennel is one of the least used and underrated fall foods. Its slight licorice-y flavor is unique and tastes wonderful when combined with sweet yukon gold potatoes, a heavy dose of cream and salty pecorino romano cheese. Bring this dish from Food52 to your Thanksgiving get-together, and you’ll have people forgetting all about the boring ol’ mashed potatoes.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut squash is an iconic fall food, and while it is as delicious as ever when roasted or pureed in a soup, it’s nice to switch it up a little. This recipe from Natalie at Perry’s Plate for Butternut Squash Lasagna complete with goat cheese and fried sage is like a Thanksgiving meal layered neatly into one big and heavy (seriously, it took some muscle to get this in and out of the oven) dish.

Savory Apple Tart

Whether or not you’ve gone apple picking (though I highly suggest it), you’re probably looking for a new way to eat this fruit. Sure, apples are perfect for a sweet dish, but they’re even better when combined with savory flavors. Rachel (hey, that’s my name, too!) from Heart of Light got it right with this super easy Apple Tart.

French Onion Soup

What’s more comforting on a crisp evening (or day) than molten, bubbling cheese atop a soup made with wine? Just about nothing! While some french onion soup recipes tend to be bland, Shannon of The Curvy Carrot has a recipe that is packed with the flavors of  thyme, reduced wine, and butter. Oh yeah, she uses lots and lots of melty, gooey cheese, too.

Celebrations were subsequently in order, and they (of course) began with an obscene amount of noodles at Talde, one of our favorite food spots in Brooklyn.

Also these one-bite perilla leaves, which were unlike anything I have eaten before. What’s on those leaves? A little bit of toasted shrimp, coconut, bacon-tamarind caramel, peanuts, lime and chili. Each leaf is meant to be rolled up and eaten in one bite. Temporary HEAVEN.

If some of you are thinking that bf and I stopped here, we didn’t. Our conviviality was not yet sated. But after having our fill of Asian cuisine on Friday, Saturday afternoon we opted for Italian. A brisk and sunny walk enhanced by the burnt oranges of fall foliage landed us at Brancaccio’s (review to come), where we grabbed one of these made-to-order mozzarella and prosciutto sandwiches.

And that evening, although the news of a job was music enough to my ears, a night spent at the symphony didn’t hurt. Lincoln Center was lit up and beautiful.

A nightcap at Clover Club afterward didn’t hurt much, either.

All in all, a wonderful weekend.

So I Married An Axe Murderer Cupcakes

The wonderful thing about these cupcakes (aside from the adorably gruesome bloody axe) is that you can use just about any cupcake recipe and just top them with the bloody axes. Made by heating sugar, water and red food coloring to hard candy temperature, these bloody treats from Brittany of One Charming Party will be the hit (or the whack!) of the party.

Healthy Halloween Muffin Tin

You don’t necessarily need to make something from scratch if you get a little creative, which is exactly what Another Lunch did with simple things like string cheese, kiwi, banana and ketchup. A few candy eyeballs, a muffin tin and a dollop of ingenuity will have whoever receives a tray of this eating healthy and begging for more.

Scotcheroo Popcorn Balls

Every year for Halloween, once I reached the ripe age to deal out candy instead of ask for it, I would have the pleasure of bequeathing my personal favorite costumed kiddies with my mom’s famous popcorn balls, rather than the plain old candy. This popcorn ball recipe from Nicole at The Galley Gourmet is all that and more because it combines the scrumptiousness of scotcheroos with the portability of a sphere-shaped treat. Kids will be saying TRICK-OR-PLEASE-GIVE-ME-ONE-OF-THOSE-POPCORN-BALLS!

Pretzel Rod Mummies

Sweet and salty can never be a bad combination, and when it’s wrapped like these Pretzel Rod Mummies, all your guests will be dying for a bite. Although this recipe looks complicated, it’s all about getting messy in the kitchen with vanilla frosting and a plastic bag. Check out the details at Living Lucurto on how to recreate these creepy little guys.

Earwax Q-Tips

Last, but not disgustingly least, this genius recipe is as easy as it is disturbing (which is what Halloween is all about, right?). Flickr user Saucy’s Sprinkles took lollipop sticks, put mini marshmallows on the ends, then dipped them in melted butterscotch chips. And it’s all about setting these treats near a Q-Tip box, because, as Saucy says, “The presentation makes it gross.”

As promised, I made the five-minute walk from my apartment to Hamilton’s for their opening on Thursday. But, let me tell you, even if you have to take a train from Manhattan, the trip to this new Windsor Terrace/Kensington gastropub will be well worth it. In fact, all Brooklyn establishments serving American cuisine better up their game, because this place just changed the rules.

I, myself, may have been a little more taken by the decor than the average person because I knew the horror of what the building used to look like before new owners Kevin & Georgia Read got their hands on it. The space has a medieval flair with a few dove gray Apostles’ crosses accenting the glossy, black-painted wood floors and a couple of heavy wooden church pews (perhaps snagged from the Catholic church across the street) providing ample seating for larger parties. Other decor is fairly simple—white linen curtains, clean-lined light fixtures and egg-cream colored walls (think Buttermilk Channel). Ten points awarded to Hamilton’s.

But, of course, the most important test of the evening was the quality of the food. SCORE! Field goal, touchdown, homerun…all of the above! It was excellent. My expectations were exceeded when I tasted the following:

Ceasar Salad

This dish, along with dessert, was victim to my ravenous hunger, so, alas, I did not snap a picture. A head of baby romaine is lightly dressed with anchovy vinaigrette and tossed with thin slices of bread toasted into croutons and shaved parmesan. A lighter version of the classic cesar salad.

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Pan-Seared Local Hake

Balanced atop a mound of olive oil mashed potatoes, the fillet of hake is seared to a medium level which gives it a buttery texture that melts in the mouth. Orange-braised fennel provides hearty bite and a licorice-y flavor.

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Beer Braised All Natural Short Rib

This savory rib is slow roasted until it’s fall-apart tender and full of flavor. Creamy polenta and cipollini onions act as a bed for the meat, and all are topped with a rich glaze that was no doubt made with the rib drippings. If you’re only going to get one dish at Hamilton’s, get this!

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

This is a small dessert, so don’t expect a huge slice of anything. It’s served in a small ramekin, and is dense and chocolatey. Although good, the cake isn’t a star. The sea salt that topped it was an excellent pairing that made the dark chocolate taste sweeter, but I wish it would be sprinkled on a bit more liberally. Fresh whipped cream and blueberries are served on the side.

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If you love food, and you probably do if you’re reading this blog, come to my neighborhood ASAP to check out Hamilton’s. On top of the great food, there is an extensive beer (20 on tap) and wine list. No disappointments will be had here, as Hamilton’s knocks it out of the (Fort Hamilton) park(way).  And you’ll probably see me, as I plan on becoming a fixture at the new spot.