Introduction
We’re plea ed to hare the Second Edition of the Wheelhou e Cookbook with you!
For our Fir t Edition, we a ked teammate to hare their favorite family or friend recipe . The re ult? About 30 recipe on everything from Filipino “Spicy Tofu Si ig” to German “Feuerzangenbowle” (literally, a celebratory punch bowl that you light on fire)!
For thi Second Edition, we decided it would be a bit more fun to reach out to ome of our indu try friend to ee if they could bring their local flavor to our expanding Wheelhou e Cookbook.
The e “Friend of Wheelhou e” include partner , operator , revenue manager , and cu tomer — folk uch a Sarah Franzen (who you ju t KNEW wa going to ubmit omething magic) to oug Truitt (who it turn out... make a pretty mean Chee ecake)!
A que tion we addre ed la t year—which warrant revi iting—i , “Why in the world would Wheelhou e take the time to produce a cookbook?!”
We’d ugge t that a cookbook repre ent almo t everything we love at Wheelhou e:
Genuine connection with local communitie
A deep de ire to learn the torie and culture of the e communitie
An intere t in highlighting our cu tomer and friend
A pa ion for any activity that blend creativity & collaboration
In total, in the 18 month ince we publi hed our Fir t Edition of the Wheelhou e Cookbook, we’ve been hard pre ed to think of a better ymbol for how we trive to operate a a company.
Hence, the Second Edition.
In haring thi with you, we hope it both brighten up your week, perhap in pire a new cooking experience or indu try connection, or even... nudge you along to ubmit your own recipe (aka... help u make a Third Edition all but inevitable and our be t yet)!
Table of Contents
Drinks
1 - Smoked Old Fashioned to Move-a-Mountain - Robin Craigen
2 - The Eastside - Mike Horan
3 - Dutch Negroni - Danny de Haas 4 - Espresso Martini Plus - Jake Creasey
5 - Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Cà Phê Trứng) - Vu Huynh
6 - Fiesta Bean Salad - Michelle Williams
- Cream of Mushroom Soup - Sarah Franzen 8 - John's Gabas al Ajillo - John deRoulet
- Bitterballen - Donna
10 - Thanksgiving Turkey & Gravy - Sarah Franzen
- Suppli al Anster - John An
- Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup - Caleb Hannon
- Himmelstorte - Andreas Buschermöhle
Smoked Old Fashioned to Move-a-Mountain
Backstory
This is the Smoked Old Fashioned to Move-aMountain! As the recipe states, any great bourbon will do, but we prefer 100+ proof Knob Creek. The bitters add complexity and engage more of our palate. The Demerara simple syrup is rich and tasty, and easy to make on your own! Do not use white or brown sugar. The Luxardo Maraschino cherry liqueur is the glue that binds it all together. Do not use ice that was stored next to something else in the freezer. Use a mold to create the single large ice cube. You can super heat your own piece of oak, or cheat like we do and use the Foghat Smoker :)
Ingredients
2 ounces of any great bourbon (100+ proof Knob Creek preferred)
3 dashes of Angostura Aromatic Bitters
2 dashes of Angostura Orange Bitters
1/4 ounce of Luxardo Maraschino cherry liqueur
Demerara sugar (for simple syrup)
Ice (a single large cube and several small ice cubes)
Orange peel (a wide slice cut using a vegetable peeler)
Maraschino cherries
Foghat Smoker with untreated charred barrel oak
Method
Make the Demerara simple syrup: Heat 2 parts sugar with 1 part water and stir until fully dissolved, allow to cool
Add single large ice cube and 1 or 2 maraschino cherries to cocktail glass
Fill a 24 ounce cocktail stirring glass 2/3 of the way full with ice cubes; add 1/4 ounce of Demerara simple syrup, bitters, bourbon, and Luxardo Maraschino cherry liqueur; stir for 10 to 15 seconds
Place strainer over your prepped cocktail glass and pour drink; garnish with orange peel
Place the Foghat Smoker on top of the glass with wood chips inside; fire up the mini blow torch and heat wood chips to create a layer of smoke to top your drink
The Eastside
Wheelhouse
Backstory
This was my “go-to” summer cocktail through a fairly stressful time in my professional life. A maniac had acquired our previous company and was publicly critical of our business, people, and culture. Through some really hot summer days I would sit on my rocking chair on the porch with this delicious, refreshing drink and disappear into a book. I really found it to be the perfect escape!
Ingredients
2.5 ounces of good gin
1 ounce of fresh lime juice
3/4 ounces of simple syrup
6-8 mint leaves
3-5 cucumber slices
Ice
Method
Gently muddle the mint and sliced cucumber in your cocktail shaker
Add gin, lime juice, simple syrup, and ice into the shaker
Shake shake shake that shaker
Double strain over fresh ice into an old fashioned cocktail glass (or any cocktail glass that you wish)
Garnish with cucumber and mint leaves
Dutch Negroni
Backstory
Using genever in place of gin when making a Negroni not only brings the juniper, but also a bodied maltiness to the cocktail classic. For those unfamiliar, genever is essentially the Dutch grandfather of gin. Made from malted grain and flavored with juniper, this age-old spirit is known for its earthy, nutty qualities. New York City bartender and beverage consultant Paula Lukas elaborates: “Replacing the traditional gin in a Negroni with genever gives it a mellow, malty flavor. Genever tastes very similar to unaged whisky, and brings a certain warmth to the cocktail.”
Ingredients
1.5 ounces of genever
1 ounce of Campari
1 ounce of sweet vermouth
Orange half-wheel or twist
Ice
Method
Add the genever, Campari, and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass with ice, stir until well-chilled
Strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with fresh ice
Garnish with an orange half-wheel or a large orange twist
Wheelhouse
Espresso Martini Plus
Ingredients
2 shots of Kahlua or your favorite coffee liqueur
2 shots of vodka
1 shot of fresh espresso
Dash of simple syrup or Baileys (for the party animals) Ice
Backstory
In 2022, I was sitting in a bar on the beach with friends ringing in the new year. All was great, except the Espresso Martini just wasn't hitting the mark for me. My biggest gripe was that it always felt too loose as opposed to the nice creamy flavor you would expect from a coffee - that and it was never filled to the brim! Thus started the search for the perfect Espresso Martini to fit my personal palate. Thus, the birth of the Espresso Martini Plus.
Method
Brew the fresh espresso (you can use an espresso machine or you can borrow your office's pod machine for a night, it's all the same)
Place espresso in the freezer to chill for ten minutes; if you plan to leave it longer, place in the refrigerator instead
Combine cooled espresso, coffee liqueur, vodka, simple syrup/Baileys, and ice into a shaker; shake for a minute or two
Strain into a chilled large cocktail glass and enjoy
Vietnamese Egg Coffee (Cà Phê Trứng)
Ingredients
2 ounces of espresso beans
1 egg yolk
4 ounces of sweetened condensed milk
Backstory
No, I did not grow up drinking coffee, but I have always been familiar with Vietnamese Iced Coffee!
Years later, during a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, I was introduced to Vietnamese Egg Coffee. My mind was blown and I wanted to share this recipe with everyone!
Method
Brew 2 cups of espresso from your espresso beans
Whip the egg yolk and sweetened condensed milk until it is light and frothy and holds soft peaks
Pour the egg mixture on top of the espresso
Wheelhouse
Fiesta Bean Salad
Backstory
I ran across this recipe a number of years ago and it has become my go-to for parties, potlucks, or any occasion where quantities of people need to be fed. This dish is extremely versatile and easy to make because it only takes a few minutes to prepare. Plus, there is no cooking at all! It’s also easy to make your own; for instance, I sometimes like to dial up the cilantro and lime flavors from what the recipe states. It can be eaten as a side dish or as a topping on tortilla chips, rice, or whatever you want. The recipe yields a large quantity and the various colors make it pretty to look at, so this is a fantastic dish to make when entertaining. Enjoy!
Ingredients
15-ounce can of black beans
15-ounce can of kidney beans
15-ounce can of cannellini beans
10 ounces of frozen corn, thawed
1 red onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of red wine vinager
Method
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons of white sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
Hot sauce
Rinse and drain beans, then combine in a large bowl with bell peppers, corn, and red onion
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, black pepper, and chili powder together in a small bowl; season with with hot sauce to taste
Pour dressing over bean mixture and toss well
Refrigerate until chilled (a minimum of 1 hour, overnight is also fine); stir again before serving
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Sarah Franzen REVZEN
Backstory
This is my family's favorite fall/winter meal. It's stupidly easy and so tasty. Feel free to experiment with different mushroom combinations to suit your taste, though I think my favorite is a two-to-one ratio of White Mushrooms to Cremini Mushrooms. If you don't have an immersion blender for the final step, you can pulse mushroom mixture in a food processor before adding to the broth. Enjoy!
Ingredients
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
48 ounces of mushrooms, sliced and stems removed
6 cups of chicken broth
1 teaspoon of salt
Method
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
8 cloves of garlic, minced
5 tablespoons of flour
12 ounces of evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
Crusty bread
In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat; add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring periodically throughout
Increase heat to high, add mushrooms, and cook until they are wilted and brown in some places, stirring periodically throughout
While the mushrooms cook, add 5 cups of chicken broth, salt, and pepper to a large pot or dutch oven over high heat
Once mushrooms have begun to brown, add garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant
Add remaining 1 cup of chicken broth to an airtight container with flour, seal and shake until flour is fully dissolved; add this mixture to the skillet, stir and cook until combined with mushrooms
Once the broth in the large pot or dutch oven begins to simmer, remove from heat and add the evaporated milk and mushroom mixture; return to high heat
When the soup just reaches a simmer, remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce
With an immersion blender, pulse until most mushrooms are in small pieces, then serve with crusty bread
John's Gabas al Ajillo
John deRoulet
Wheelhouse
Backstory
This recipe is a perfect snack/appetizer to make in an open kitchen. You really want people to be in the room and smell it while you’re cooking it. The aroma is amazing and will really get people hungry for the main course. Don't be surprised if people like the bread in oil as much as or more than the actual shrimps.
Ingredients
12 cloves of garlic (4 finely chopped, 4 crushed, and 4 sliced)
1 lbs of shrimp with shells
1 cup of olive oil
Parsley, chopped
Splash of sherry
Baguette
Pinch of red pepper flakes and/or paprika (optional)
Method
Shell shrimp and put shells aside
In a large pot, combine shelled shrimp with 1/4 cup of olive oil and the 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic; place in fridge
In a pan, sauté remaining /4 cups of olive oil, shrimp shells, and 4 cloves of crushed garlic over medium heat until the shells are pink and fully cooked through; enjoy the smell and taunt the onlookers who watch you cook
Strain shells and garlic from the oil, then return the oil to the pan
Heat pan on medium heat and add refrigerated shrimp along with the 4 cloves of sliced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using)
Cook shrimp until they are just slightly undercooked (about 4 to 8 minutes), stirring and tossing the shrimp constantly
When shrimp are just slightly undercooked, add a splash of sherry and then remove from heat; add chopped parsley and paprika (if using)
Serve shrimp and oil in a bowl; eat the shrimps; dip bread in oil
Bitterballen
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of butter
100 grams of onion, minced
100 grams of mushrooms, minced
200 grams of ground beef
40 grams of all-purpose flour
Backstory
When my sister moved almost 2,000 miles away to Australia, it was hard to keep in touch with differing timezones and not having the ability to just visit each other whenever. However, we both have an intense love for food. This is a recipe that she shared with me and one that I make often. Bitterballen feels like family. I recommend serving with mayonnaise and chilli sauce for dipping.
250 milliliters of milk
400 grams of mashed potatoes
40 grams of cheddar cheese, grated
Method
2 teaspoons of ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
4 stalks of Chinese celer y, thinly sliced
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups of bread crumbs
Cooking oil
In a pan over medium heat, sauté onions in butter until translucent; add mushrooms and cook until wilted; add ground beef and cook until it is no longer pink
Add flour to the pan, stirring until the beef mixture clumps together; slowly pour milk and stir constantly until the mixture is a thick sauce
Add in potatoes, nutmeg, salt, ground pepper, sugar, cheddar and celer y; mix well and cook until the mixture is dry and you see no standing liquid
Set aside to cool, then take a tablespoon of the mixture and shape into a small round ball; repeat with the rest of the mixture
Coat each ball with three layers: first lightly with bread crumbs, then with egg, then finally with breadcrumbs again to ensure full stickiness
Heat a pot of oil for deep frying and fry your Bitterballen balls until golden brown and crispy
Drain on a wire rack first to ensure the Bitterballen is dry
Donna Wheelhouse
Thanksgiving Turkey & Gravy
Sarah Franzen REVZEN
Backstory
I found the base recipe for this bird in a magazine about 25 years ago when I hosted my first Thanksgiving after my daughter had just turned one. It was a success and I spent the next 10 years making iterations of it, until around 15 years ago when I settled on this version! My family still loves it (I make it every year, regardless of who is hosting)—especially the gravy that the drippings make. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year just because of this meal. A couple years ago, I started making it on my birthday too, because one time a year just isn't enough! Anyway, hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do!
Ingredients
14 to 16 lbs. whole turkey
15 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons of molasses
3/8 cup of salt
3/8 cup of black pepper
3 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
2 cups of broth
1/4 cup of flour, plus more as needed
1 cup of milk, plus more as needed
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius)
Prepare turkey: remove giblets from cavity, rinse the bird, and pat dry; in a small bowl, combine 8 tablespoons of butter with molasses, salt, pepper, and lemon juice
Carefully spread the butter mixture evenly under turkey s skin, reaching in as far as possible without ripping it; place any remaining molasses butter mixture in cavity; rub 2 tablespoons of butter on top of the skin
Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and add 1 cup of broth to the bottom of the pan; roast uncovered for 45 minutes
After this initial 45 minutes, you may stuff the bird with stuffing (reach out to Sarah for an amazing cornbread stuffing recipe!); cover loosely with foil and continue to roast until both meat and stuffing reach a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (75 degrees Celsius), about 3 to 4 hours; let rest for 30 minutes before car ving
Prepare gravy: remove turkey, rack, and any large chunks from roasting pan, then place on stove at medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth, then whisk in 1 cup of broth until smooth, then whisk milk in gradually until gravy is the desired consistency
Suppli al Anster
John An TechTape
Backstory
During a summer semester abroad in Italy (in a travel architecture program), some other students and I decided to get together and try our hands at cooking some local dishes like this one. We purchased fresh ingredients at the local market (at the Campo de' Fiori in Rome), but we forgot to buy the typical arborio rice. We improvised and used the sticky white rice that we had on hand instead. It turned out just as well, if not better! Originally, we fried the suppli (as is traditional), but over the years we tried to make it a bit healthier, and so switched to baking them, and found that they are just as good when baked! Mangia!
Ingredients
1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 garlic clove, whole
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 to 2 dashes of black pepper
1 large egg
7 ounces (200 grams) of tomato puree
1 cup of uncooked sticky white rice
2 tablespoons of parmesan, grated
8 ounces of fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/2 to 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
Method
In a rice cooker, cook sticky white rice according to package instructions
When the rice is nearly done cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius)
In a large frying pan, combine olive oil, tomato puree, garlic clove, salt, and black pepper; cook for about 10 minutes and then remove garlic clove
In a large bowl, combine tomato mixture, cooked rice, and 1 tablespoon of parmesan
Prepare breading station: on a large plate, combine panko bread crumbs with remaining 1 tablespoon of parmesan; in a small bowl, beat egg
Form the suppli: take a heaping tablespoon of rice in your palm, flatten, place a cube (or two) of mozzarella in the center, and form rice into a ball so that the mozzarella is completely enclosed in rice; roll rice ball in egg until it is completely coated and then roll in panko mixture until completely coated again; place completed suppli on baking sheet
Transfer baking sheet to oven and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, until the panko is nicely browned
Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
StayLakeNorman
Backstory
Our family has always been a soup family. My wife and I have been veggie focused for a long time and stumbled across this soup one winter that didn't have the sausage element. We quickly realized it was missing something and decided sausage was the missing item. We played around with the options and finally found a meal that our teenager begs us to make. We eat this soup year round, even when it's 85 degrees and we spent the day on the lake (it's that good).
Ingredients
3 tablespoons of butter
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
6 cups of veggie broth
12 ounces of tortellini
1 cup of heavy cream
5 to 12 ounces of baby spinach
2 spicy Italian sausages, thinly sliced
1/2 to 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes
Parmesan cheese, for topping
Method
In a pot, melt butter and combine with sausage, onion, garlic, carrots, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper; sauté for 6 minutes until fork tender
Whisk in flour until crumbly
Slowly add the broth and whisk vigorously until its well combined and no clumps
Bring soup to a boil and then add tortellini
Cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 6 minutes until the tortellini is tender and heated through
Whisk the cream in and add spinach
Bring everything back to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the soup is smooth and thickened
Chicken Pot Pie
Mike Devos
Best Beach Getaways
Backstory
I just made this with stuff I had on hand because I didn’t want to go to the store. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 bag of California blend vegetables
1 can of cream of potato soup
8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese
1 tube of crescent roll dough
Oil, salt, and black pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius)
In a large pot, boil water and then add vegetables; cook until soft (about 3 to 4 minutes) then drain
In a pan, sauté chicken with oil, salt, and black pepper until fully cooked (about 8 to 10 minutes)
In a casserole dish, combine vegetables, chicken, and soup
Bake for 25 minutes
Remove from oven, top with shredded cheddar cheese and an even layer of crescent roll dough
Bake for an additional 15 minutes, until crescent roll dough top is brown
Shepherd's Pie
Ponita Creasey
Wheelhouse
Backstory
I have a friend who is a chef and really good at cooking. I'm not too adept at preparing Western dishes. However, since my fiancé is from the UK, I wanted to try making a Western dish that he might enjoy. I asked my friend to teach me how to make Shepherd's Pie because it's always brought to our potlucks. I tried making it for the first time, and it turned out to be a success. I didn't expect it to be so easy and delicious.
Ingredients
3 large potatoes (1.5 to 2 pounds), peeled and quartered
1 medium onion, chopped
1.5 cups of mixed vegetables
1.5 cups of ground beef
1/2 cup of beef broth
Method
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
Ground pepper
Rosemary and thyme
Salt
8 tablespoons of butter, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius)
In a pot, place potatoes and cover with cold water until water reaches an inch above the potatoes; add salt and bring to a boil, cooking until tender
While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan on medium heat; add onions and cook until tender (about 6 to 8 minutes)
Add chopped vegetables to pan and continue cooking until tender
Add ground beef to pan and cook until no longer pink; drain any excess fat and then add rosemary, thyme, broth, and Worcestershire sauce
Mash the cooked potatoes with remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, salt, and pepper
In a large baking dish (like a 9 by 13 casserole dish), spread all of the beef mixture into an even layer; spread mashed potatoes over the beef in an even layer, then rough up the surface with a fork to increase the surface area and the browning (feel free to make creative designs)
Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes; if the surface of the potatoes is not sufficiently brown, place under the broiler for a minute or two
Creamy Gochujang Pasta
Wheelhouse
Backstory
Growing up KoreanAmerican, I remember a time when Korean food was ridiculed as "stinky" and "foreign". Gochujang is a staple in Korean cooking, going back centuries where it was made, fermented, and stored in giant earthenware jugs. With the proliferation of Korean culture in the mainstream zeitgeist (K-Pop, ‘Parasite’, ‘Squid Games’), Korean cuisine has risen too. It's fascinating to see how general sentiment towards Korean food has swung from "foreign" to now "trendy". This recipe, to me, is one of my favorite "Korean American" fusion dishes - accessible while also highlighting gochujang in a less-traditional context.
Ingredients
2 cloves of garlic, sliced or minced
3 tablespoons of gochujang
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
10 ounces of any pasta
1/4 cup of cream, milk, or half & half
Olive Oil
Salt and black pepper
Grated parmesan (optional)
Chopped herbs (optional)
Any protein (optional)
Method
Heat a skillet on medium heat; once hot, add olive oil and garlic; cook until fragrant (about 1 2 minutes), being careful not to burn the garlic; if adding protein, add here and sauté until brown and mostly cooked (protein will continue cooking in sauce)
Add gochujang, butter, and dairy (either cream, milk, or half & half) to the skillet, stirring to combine; reduce your heat to medium low and continue to let the sauce simmer and reduce for 10 15 minutes; the sauces desired thickness should resemble a béchamel sauce, where the sauce sticks to a back of a spoon, and if you run your finger along the back of your spoon, the trail should remain
While sauce simmers, cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining
Add cooked pasta to the gochujang sauce in the skillet; turn off the heat and stir vigorously, adding pasta water as you stir (pasta water is full of starch and aids in the saucing of the final pasta dish; trust in the process it may look too watery at first, but the continuous vigorous stirring will thicken the sauce and bring it all together)
Serve immediately, topping with a generous amounts of grated parmesan and/or chopped herbs, if desired
Cacio E Gochugaru
Jack Feighery Wheelhouse
Backstory
The idea for this recipe came to me after the Skift Short-Term Rental Conference in New York City in June 2023. I attended the conference with a cherished colleague and friend, and afterwards, the two of us got dinner at an Italian-Asian fusion restaurant nearby. We ordered (among other things) a burrata with gochugaru oil appetizer. The combination of creamy Italian cheese with bright Korean chili flakes was phenomenal, and it led me to wonder: what would a Cacio E Pepe pasta taste like if the traditional black pepper was replaced with gochugaru? The result is this recipe: Cacio E Gochugaru.
20
Ingredients
2 cups of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon of Gochugaru
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 pound of pasta (any shape will do, but my go-to for this is fettuccine)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Method
Put a pot of salted water on to boil (make it "salty like the sea")
In a bowl, combine Pecorino Romano with cold water until the cheese becomes a thick paste. Add one tablespoon of cold water, then stir, then if needed, add another tablespoon of cold water, then stir. Repeat this until the cheese reaches the desired consistency.
Once water boils, add pasta, cooking until just al dente.
While pasta cooks, add olive oil, garlic and gochugaru to a sauté pan on medium-low heat. Sauté until fragrant.
When pasta is al dente, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain and add pasta to the sauté pan with the garlic and gochugaru. Keep the heat under the sauté pan on medium-low. Stir in cheese paste and pasta water until pasta is evenly coated in a creamy (but not watery) sauce. If sauce is too thick, add a little olive oil.
The Best Brownies of Your Life
Backstory
These brownies started out as a simple family recipe, but once you try these or bring them to an event, everyone will be asking you how to make them. It's all in the way they are baked! Pay attention and make sure you turn the oven DOWN during the baking process.
Ingredients
2 boxes of store-bought brownie mix
Oil (defer to the brownie mix instructions)
Eggs (defer to the brownie mix instructions)
Water (defer to the brownie mix instructions)
Powdered sugar
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius)
Combine the store-bought brownie mix with the oil, eggs, and water according to the instructions on the brownie mix box
Grease a 9 x 13 foil pan and then pour the batter into the pan
Ignore the baking instructions on the brownie mix box and bake as follows: bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius), then turn the oven down to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius) and bake for another 25 minutes
Stick a fork or toothpick in the center of the brownie to test if it is done; if the fork/toothpick comes out clean, it is done; if batter clings to it, bake for another 5 minutes
Let brownies cool and then dust with powdered sugar, then slice into squares
Doug's New York Style Cheesecake
Doug
Ingredients
4 cups of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup of sugar
5 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 graham cracker crust pie tin
Backstory
I learned this recipe while managing Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar. The key discovery here is that the eggs really bring the density and size of the cheesecake to the next level. As step 2 of the recipe states, you can add ingredients to flavor this cheesecake, like huckleberries, blueberries, raspberries, or crushed Oreos.
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius)
Combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is adequately mixed and viscous; if you are adding any extra ingredients to this recipe (such as berries or crushed Oreos), add them at this step
Pour mixture into graham cracker crust pie tin
Place pie tin within a larger and deeper pan, add water to the larger and deeper pan until it reaches half the height of the pie tin; place everything in the oven on a middle rack
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until top is golden brown
Cool on cooling rack for at least 20 minutes, then transfer to fridge to cool for at least 2 hours
Truitt Roami
Himmelstorte
Backstory
Himmelstorte is German for “Heaven Cake” and indeed it is a heavenly cake. If you do not have three springform pans, you can stagger the baking of each cake layer. If you do this, it is best to beat the egg white fresh for each of the three bases, otherwise it may revert to its liquid form before you are ready to bake.
Ingredients
250 grams of butter
250 grams of sugar
4 large eggs
375 grams of flour
16 grams of baking powder
Coarse sugar
Sliced almonds
Ground cinnamon
700 milliliters of cream
16 grams of vanilla sugar
Method
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
Separate 3 eggs into the egg yolk and egg white, placing each egg white in a separate bowl
In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, 3 egg yolks, one whole egg, flour and baking powder to a dough
Separate the dough into three equal parts, placing each part in its own springform pan
For each of the springform pans, beat one of the three egg whites and spread it on top of the dough, then sprinkle coarse sugar, shaved almonds, and cinnamon on top of the whipped egg whites and bake for 20 minutes
Allow the three bases cool, then whip the cream with vanilla sugar until stiff peaks form
Assemble the himmelstorte, stacking and layering like so: base, whipped cream, base, whipped cream, base
GingerSOFT Cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup of margarine
3/4 cup of shortening
2 cups of granulated sugar
1/2 cup of molasses
2 large eggs
Backstory
The holidays are full of flavor, spices, warmth, and DESSERTS! My mom is one of seven siblings from Napa, California, where my grandmother would bake gingersnaps, but the kids always complained how hard they truly snapped. So she experimented and landed on this delicious recipe that will be passed on to so many. Paired with some tea, you'll want to eat the entire batch.
4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1.5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons of ground cloves
1.5 teaspoons of ground ginger
Method
In a medium sized bowl, mix margarine, shortening, and sugar together well with a mixer; add in the two eggs until blended smoothly; pour in the molasses and mix well
In a separate larger bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground ginger
At the contents of the first bowl to the second bowl and mix until fully combined; chill dough for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator
While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius)
Spoon small balls of dough and roll each onto a layer of sugar; place on a cookie sheet and slightly smash balls with the palm of your hand
Bake for seven minutes, until they are ever so slightly undercooked and still soft when cooled
Megan Shuey
Wheelhouse