Nopa's 9-Hour Bolognese

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound uncooked or cooked beef, pork or lamb, or a mix, ground or finely chopped (see note)

1 tablespoon kosher salt + more to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup yellow chopped onion, in small dice

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup chopped carrots, in small dice

1 cup chopped celery, in small dice

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

2 cups chopped canned tomatoes with juice

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

INSTRUCTIONS:

Instructions: Rub the salt into the ground or chopped meat, preferably 24 hours ahead of time.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the oil and butter. When the butter melts, add the onion and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until onion has lost its crunch and become sweet, 8-10 minutes. Add carrots, celery, another pinch of salt, and cook until they, too, have lost their crunch, another 8-10 minutes.

If you are using raw meat, add it first and cook until all the pink is gone. If you are using cooked meat, cook until it is completely coated with the vegetable base and has cooked out any of its pinkness, as well. If using both raw and cooked meat, cook raw meat first, until it is the same doneness as the cooked meat, then add the cooked meat. Make sure you break up any big clumps of meat.

Add milk. This will look like a lot of liquid, but it will all cook off over time. Reduce heat to low and stir frequently to prevent burning. Simmer until all liquid has evaporated, about 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring every 10 minutes. Add nutmeg, if using.

Add wine and simmer as you did the milk, until it evaporates, another 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring about every 10 minutes.

Carefully add tomatoes, stirring them into the sauce. Reduce heat as low as it will go, and cook for 3 hours. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve over pasta or creamy polenta and top with Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Note: To use up bits of cooked meat, it's best to chop it rather than grinding it.

Per serving: 270 calories, 13 g protein, g 10 carbohydrate, 16 g fat (8 g saturated), 62 mg cholesterol, 1,078 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

Cake Ingredients

1 cup root beer schnapps
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned style root beer (like A&W or Dads)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Root Beer Glaze

4 cups confectioners sugar
1/3 cup root beer
3 Tbs. root beer schnapps*
3 Tbs. vegetable oil

*for a more kid friendly version, replace schnapps with more root beer

You will also need some extra root beer schnapps (1 Tbs. per cupcake)
Or for the kiddies use root beer (again 1 Tbs. per cupcake)
You will also need some basic Vanilla buttercream ( there are many recipes online to try J)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a bowl, mix together root beer schnapps, root beer, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, mix until smooth
5. Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. Mix with hand mixer on low, while slowly pouring in root beer mixture.
7. Mix until smooth and lump free.
8. Pour into lined cupcake pan. (Use foil cupcake liners to avoid "leakage" later.) Fill nearly to the top, you may think its over-filled, but it puffs up perfectly this way. Don't be tempted to use more than 24 cupcake cups.
9. Bake for 15- 20 minutes, until golden brown and cake springs back when touched.
10. While cupcakes are baking, prepare your butter cream and root beer glaze. For glaze, put all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a wisk until smooth and lump free.
11. To assemble, start by letting cupcakes cool, still in the pan.
12. While still slightly warm, pour 1 Tbs. of root beer schnapps over each cupcake. Pour on slowly to allow schnapps ( or regular root beer for the kiddies) to soak in.
13. Once the schnapps has soaked in and let sit for a few minutes, pour a couple tablespoons of glaze over each cupcake.
14. When the glaze sets up a bit and isn't too runny, put a "scoop" of buttercream atop each. For an added touch, you can even place a root beer barrel candy on each one.

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

Adapted from "The Perfect Scoop" by David Lebovitz (Ten Speed Press, 2007).

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups brewed espresso or very strong coffee

1/2 cup half-and-half

Big pinch of finely ground dark-roast coffee

INSTRUCTIONS:

Instructions: Whisk together the condensed milk, espresso, half-and-half and ground coffee. Cover and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a covered container and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

Per 1/2 cup serving: 205 calories, 5 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (4 g saturated), 27 mg cholesterol, 81 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

Husband Catcher Cake

For the Cake:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 box brown sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk

For the Filling:
6 ounces orange marmalade
1/8 cup Grand Marnier or orange liqueur

For the Frosting:
3½ tablespoons light Karo corn syrup
½ stick butter
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon Kahlua, brandy, orange liqueur or vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Mix in the eggs, then add the melted chocolate and vanilla and mix well. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In another bowl, mix the baking soda, salt and sifted flour. To the chocolate mixture, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk, a little at a time. Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured (or nonstick) round cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in to the middle of each cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack.

In a small saucepan, over boiling water, mix the filling ingredients and cool. Invert one cooled cake layer onto a cake plate, then spread on the cooled filling. Carefully top with the other layer. Cover with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Bring the cake to room temperature before icing.

In a medium saucepan, mix the Karo corn syrup, butter, water, and Kahlua, brandy, orange liqueur, or vanilla and bring to a boil. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix until melted. Let frosting cool and stir until it is the consistency of whipping cream. Frost the top and sides of the cake.