I have to make desserts Friday AND Saturday night. I want to make a flourless chocolate cake but if I could do it mini muffin tins, it would cover both nights and would be a nice presentation....My go-to recipe is David Leibovitz's Chocolate Idiot cake. Has anyone made this in mini muffin tins? What was the result? What time and temperature? Any other (flourless Chocolate) suggestions!

Thanks

or her buffalo sloppy joes...

It was kind of on the quiet side...so get there soon and often.

We had a great dinner at the America Spoon Cafe in Petoskey, The food was incredibly fresh (much of the food is local) and the presentation was fabulous. While the menu is small (4 mains) and the portion are on the modest side, the whole meal was flavorful and creative and the service great. We thought it was a real welcome addition to Northern Michigan,.

These all sound like good options...cant wait to give them a try..anything else new in the tip of the mitten?

I searched to see if there were any new threads about Northern Michigan food and dining and didn't see anything current. Any new not to be missed spots in Emmet or Charlevoix counties and environs? (We probably won't make it to TC). What is the word on Palettes in Petoskey? Looks like very mixed reviews. What about the Fish or Douglas Lake Bar and Grill which have both changed owners in the last few years? Any old favorites that are even better this year? Anything go seriously downhill? Would be interested in farmers markets, fine dining and everything in between.

Last spring, we planted some tarragon and sage and enjoyed the bounty over the the next few months... I don't know if it was the mild winter and/or warm spring, but we are inundated with the herbs now. Anyone have any suggestions for using lots of these herbs. We have been making yummy roasted chickens and chicken salad and tuna, but the recipes barely make a dent in our rapidly growing herb patch. (We also have some thyme and rosemary, but they are a much more manageable amount). I am thinking pestos, olive oils, vodkas...thoughts?

Mediterrano at State and Eisenhower has a nice lunch menu and and relaxing, non-mall, non chain ambiance-had great lamb burger sliders and for $10, it was a good deal.

The Food Network has a recipe for brownies with gold leaf..they look fab and over the top to me!!!
http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2...

Those all sound like great ideas...any good exciting pantry pasta ideas...our standard sausage and marinara sauce is getting old....

Freezing meat in marinade sounds like a great idea....and we do have access to a nothing fancy grill...

My husband and I rent a fairly remote cabin every summer. The closest, not-well-stocked grocery is about 30 minutes away and since an awesome sunset is usually part of our dinner routine, we are more than happy to stay home and cook. This year we are going for nearly two weeks and will try to bring most of our provisions with us, The house is stocked with good supply of basic cookware

I have some frozen, braised short ribs and a lasagna in the freezer and will probably freeze some mac and cheese before we go. We usually bring up some pantry pastas ingredients, frozen meats, and some marinating chicken for the first night. We also bring up a make your own muffin mix and fruit crisp topping mix and hit up the local fruit stands.

We have been doing this so long, our meals have gotten a little routine-any suggestions out there? Thanks so much in advance,

or a make your own breakfast taco buffet-eggs optional

We make this with many types of fish (salmon, halibut, cod, etc) and different seasonings. We like to add capers-and for a Greek flavor, top with feta. Easy, light and delish.

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Roas...

Since St Patrick's Day and Purim are within a couple days of one another, I thought I would try to make a corned beef hamentaschen (usually a sweet Jewish pastry with three corners). Anyone have any suggestions? Mixing cheese and meat isn't an issue here.

This artichoke cheese puff from the Vegetarian Epicure is a great brunch dish-I sometimes add more veggies and always use my cast iron skillet.
http://www.livinlowcarbdiscussion.com...

One of the Moosewood cookbooks had a pasta dish which was an onion sauted in the marinade and tossed with sour cream (or greek yogurt), cottage cheese, art hearts, parm and pasta. Can't find the recipe on line but both are really tailored to marinaded artichoke heart because the marinade in part of the flavoring.

Hmmm...lots of good ideas here....maybe I will make italian jewish savory kugel....

Hi-I made the Moosewood calzones yesterday and have 2-3 cups of filling leftover. The filling includes ricotta, mozzarella, spinach, parm, onions mushrooms and peppers, Any ideas for re-purposing? I am have some short ribs braising and am considering some kind of loaded mashed potatoes but that seems a bit of over kill with short ribs. Also mulled over some kind of frittata or some other breakfast savory. Any other thoughts?

yeah...there were some parts of pie that didn't get injected butter and they almost had a candy bar like quality...quite yummy!!

Ina made some awesome looking lobster macaroni and cheese on her show today-it screamed New Years to me. Here is the link to her recipe-there are others out there as well...never made any of them but it is on my to do list.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/in...

Okay, here to report on the pie....the injection method worked perfectly-It was a chocolate pecan pie and I did have to plug a few "holes" on the surface with chocolate chips before re-baking it but all in all, it looked and tasted great. Now my husband wants to try another without butter....but with the cost of all those pecans and chocolate, I don't think so....thanks again for all the advice!

Trying the injection method...takes doctoring your meal to new extremes...will let you know the final result....thanks for all the suggestions and happy holidays!

Hi-I just made a pecan pie, stuck it in the oven, cleaned the kitchen and low and behold, found the melted butter (2 tbs) for the pie filing sitting in the microwave. Pie looks perfect! Do I need to start over? Help!!

Nabisco chocolate wafers and whip cream cake-

This hoisin beer braised short tibs is my go to recipe for short ribs-it is sweet and you could definitely cook down the sauce,...and totally easy. I use less hoisin sauce (like 3/4 cups) and have subbed out the hoisin for teriyaki.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/da...

Wins-
Turkey on the Grill-Brined with Alton Browns Ultimate Turkey Brine
Food Network Sage Sausage and Apple Stuffing
Shaved Brussels with Bacon
Acorn Squash Hummus (appetizer)
Macaroni and Cheese Bites (appetizer)
Zingermans Pecan Pie-too full to fully appreciate-maybe as an app next year!

Losers
Beet Salad (too cold-would have been better on a separate salad plate but didn't want to deal with more dishes)
Kale Crisp for appetizer-green teeth
Too Many appetizers

Draw
Smitten Kitchens Sweet Potato and Chard Gratin-made ahead and just didn't want to cook thru-recipe is delicious and a great break from overly sweet sweet potatoes- just needed way more time than I had planned.
Mashed potatoes and celery root-I thought they were great but the mashed potato purists among us disagreed.
Costco Pumpkin Pie-Good-but felt like cheating

make a turkey on the weber grill with mesquite-looks as traditional as a Rockwell painting but taste smokey and yunmy-a different bird, for sure.

really bad one...she loves you (gumbo) ya ya ya

I have had great success with this Braised Short RIbs in Beer and Hoisin Sauce-it is yummy and the sauce is thick and flavorful. I do the first part of the braise one day ahead, degrease it the next day, add slightly less hoisin sauce (like 3/4 cups) and continue to cook it on the stove top. Anything that soaks up the juice would be great on the side-I think the penne would look brownish and not too appetizing if cooked in the same pot.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/da...

Try Chicken Marbella-it is easy and elegant and if you serve it on the first day or two of your trip, you can do the marinading at home. You can cut the recipe in half or quarters, although the leftovers are delicious. We like it it with skinless boneless thighs and apricots in addition to the prunes.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/mem...