Monday, February 24, 2014

Smoked Turkey London Broil - Turkey Pastrami


        My Bradley Hard at Work

Note:  This recipe was also published at the Bradley Smoker North American Website

As another one of the Bloggers for Bradley, I am very excited to be joining some really talented cooks and food writers in exploring all of the wonderful things that can be done with Bradley smokers.  It is very motivating to be part of helping people to get the most out of these wonderful smokers.

I am not going to sugar coat it:  I am a novice smoker!  Oh, I have used my big Weber Kettle from time to time with a tray of wood chips, and quite a long time ago, I purchased a very inadequate, poorly constructed smoker which got very limited use.  So my experiences with my Bradley will be like many readers: a new direction and an adventure!

We have access to good, drug free, pasture raised poultry in Philadelphia through many local producers and farmers markets.  Quite some time ago, one of those producers introduced me to Turkey London Broil.  The cut is really one whole side of the bird, from breast to thigh.  It's very versatile, responds wonderfully in marinades, and is usually large enough to feed a crowd!  

I came across a recipe for "turkey pastrami" in one of my grilling cook books,  so I purchased the turkey and set out on the maiden voyage of my new Bradley.

As you will, I hope, see, the final product was awesome!  For this recipe, it's really all about the marinade and the smoker!  Both did an extraordinary job.

Smoked Turkey Pastrami

Ingredients

1 Three to Four pound Turkey London Broil
4 teaspoons cracked Peppercorns
2 tablespoons Coriander
4 teaspoons Brown Sugar
6 Garlic Cloves, minced
8 teaspoons of sea salt
4 teaspoons of sweet paprika
3 teaspoons of mustard seeds
2 teaspoons of ground ginger


   Turkey London Broil after 24 hours in the refrigerator 


Techniqe
Mix and pound all of the spices together - I used a large, stone mortar and pestle
Rub the spice mixture all over both sides of the turkey london broil
Place the turkey in a glass casserole or large plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight

The next day, remover the turkey from the refrigerator and let it stand for 2 hours
Rub the smoker rack with oil - I used canola
Preheat the smoker to 210 degrees F
Place the turkey on the oiled rack and smoke it for three hours for a 3 pound turkey london broil
       ~ until an instant thermometer reads 140 degrees F

Let the turkey rest for about 20 minutes
For an authentic, "pastrami" appearance, slice very thinly in long pieces.

 The Turkey London Broil right out of the Bradley
      
       The Sliced Turkey Pastrami

Serving Suggestion:  This makes a delicious sandwich on rye bread, with a bit of butter and some good mustard, and perhaps some cole slaw.  You will think, "Pastrami". 

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Coffee. Some Thoughts & a Recipe. There is a Lot to Learn!

If you are a coffee drinker, and we take it very seriously in our house, do you feel that you know all that you should about the growing, raising, importing, and finances associated with the tiny bean?

I have recently started watching Todd Carmichael's "Dangerous Grounds" on the Travel Channel.  Todd owns La Colombe Torrefaction coffee here in Philadelphia. The products are great and are available in some of our finest restaurants.  Todd is also widely appreciated as a man who loves adventure (witness his trek across Antartica), and is deeply involved in social and ecological issues around the world.

At first I thought of the show as merely a vanity production - and it is to some extent - but, what I didn't count on was getting an education about the inequities and the violence in the worldwide harvesting, buying and producing of coffee. I knew that there was a great deal of unfairness and that native growers were taken advantage of regularly.  But I am learning that it is much worse than I thought.

In our home, we spend a lot on our coffee.  We always select Fair Trade and buy whole bean so that we can grind it as we use it and we store it - I think - appropriately (not in the refrigerator).  For years we've been buying our beans from the same local importer and recently we have tried some of the young start up coffee roasting businesses that have sprung up here in Philly and in Brooklyn, as well.  All good coffee.  Some better than others.  And, of course, we pay for that goodness.  I generally pay between 15 and 20 dollars a pound for whole bean, free market/free trade coffee.  

Now - for those of you who are gasping at price points, remember that the canned stuff in the supermarket is, in many cases, practically stolen from the folks in the rain forest areas and other coffee growing environments.  That's why you pay half of what I am paying!  Yours is probably treated with all sorts of nasty stuff,too, and probably has additives to increase weight, etc.  You know, the usual disgusting practices which we should come to expect and are so common to big "food" production.

Which brings me back to Todd Carmichael and the TV show.  If you are a coffee lover, I do suggest that you watch the show. You will learn a few things.  In specific, a recent show entitled "Rome", if you can access it on On Demand, presents a picture of the horrible fear and nasty consquences befalling small independent coffee growers in Rondandia, Brazil.  "Big Ag", as it is referred to in the show, literally steals the coffee fields and threatens indigent people with such punishments as branding and death (armed guards are everywhere) if they attempt to come near what was once their own land.  In other practices, the land is not stolen, but the coffee farmers are paid practically nothing for their product.  This goes on in so many places in the world where coffee is grown.  Certainly in Haiti, Bolivia and Borneo to name a few coffee producing countries.

Remember, this is where the mega corporations who manufacture most supermarket products get their coffee beans - and barely pay for them.   This is where the coffee beans in your Maxwell House, Chock Full 'o Nuts, and a host of other brand names come from - direct to those cans on the supermarket shelves.  This is hardly an abstract issue.  This is real exploitation, intimidation, and at times, serious violence being practiced - openly - by powerful corporations.  For a beverage that we Americans guzzle by the gallon!

Please consider learning more about the world's coffee production.  And always, always looks for "Fair Trade" coffee beans.  

And remember the most important rule:  Always Know Where Your Food Comes From!

Recipe:  Buttered Coffee

Ingredients

Two cups of good, hot black coffee (Fair Trade Coffee, you don't want additives)

One heaping tablespoon of really good unsalted butter (Farmers' Market butter, from grass fed cows or make your own with great cream or Kerrygold butter works very well too). 

Optional:  Coconut Oil or Agave Syrup

Technique

Warm up a glass container with some hot water before you pour your coffee into it

Dump the water, pour the coffee into the container and put the tablespoon of butter on the top of the hot coffee

Let it melt a bit (if you are adding a sweetener, do it now)

Then submerge a milk frother into the coffee - or a small hand whisk - and really whip it.  You can also use a blender.  
A thick foam will form on the top of the coffee

Optional:  a tablespoon of coconut oil or agave syrup for added decadence

Very delicious and it will give you all kinds of good energy for the morning!  Give it a try!






Monday, February 10, 2014

Surviving a Serious Winter


    Exercise and Rationalize!



Yes, Readers it has been awhile!  The recovery period for Better Half - leaving me as a single urban homesteader, professional commitments and deadlines and the incredible demanding winter (the worst we have experienced in Philly in years) have eaten up the days in ways I never could have imagined.  Those of you out there who have been caregivers for a family member know exactly what I mean.  And the good news is that my Better Half is actually getting more functional with each passing day.  But she can't shovel snow, walk all three dogs at once, do much in the kitchen or drive.  But, we are very lucky.  With the help of good neighbors and friends, we're doing more than OK.

It's funny.  When I started this post, the weather - while cold - was pretty stable.  Now we are a few hours away from the beginning of a Nor'eastern with possibly a foot of snow and ice.  We knew it was coming so I did the "provision run" yesterday for the usual items that give us many options with our Larder and Freezer.  

Some of the things I've been craving and making over the weeks/months of this rough weather period:

Homemade Bread.  There's nothing like it.  And it is easy! The heat, aroma and flavor will lift your spirits and fill your stomach.

Spaghetti, Meatballs, Sausage, and good Red Gravy.  Followed by:  Baked spaghetti - with the left over pasta and sauce. A great way to put those left overs to use in a wonderful, satisfying way.

Soups - we had lots of asparagus from last season in our freezer.  Cream of asparagus soups at this time of year will lift your soul!  Onion soup is also a great idea.  While not creamy it provides a richness, with a bit of cheese melted on top, that will really hit the spot. If you canned tomatoes, or if you have good canned tomatoes, now is your chance to top anything from Campbells with a creamy rich tomato soup.

Shrimp and Grits - You don't need a whole lot of shrimp - just some good sized ones - to add to some creamy, cheesy grits.  Make them a bit spicy too.  Good reheated as well.

Brisket - a few days in a marinade in the 'fridge, a "low and slow" cooking process (adds warmth AND aroma to the house), and the addition of mashed potatoes and maybe a bitter green and you have a real comfort food dinner and fantastic sandwiches, with horseradish cream, for another meal.

Macaroni and Cheese - well, of course, the tried and true Cheddar kind, but also try just grating the pieces of cheese you find in your cheese drawer as well. You'd be surprised the impact of a llittle piece of blue cheese to your mac 'n cheese.  And if you dare, there's always the option of frying squares of what's left over!

Roasted Root Vegetables - spreading long cuts of carrots, butternut squash, and other veg onto cookie sheets topped with evoo, cumin, salt and pepper and maybe some dried pepper flakes (or whatever combination you want) and roasting at high heat, quickly, are delicious and can also be mashed later or processed together and made into a dip.  Really. Try it.

Chops - lamb especially but really gnawing on any bones is a good thing right now.  It is a natural craving and you can feel free to give right into it!

Pork - actually pork anything! - Chops, a loin, big fat sausages, whatever.  This is what you need to take the cold edge off of things!

Stews, chili, chicken pot pies - any and all "one pot" meals provide many options. 

Pancakes for dinner - you know you want it!  And with the addition of breakfast sausage and great maple syrup you will find yourself eating and grinning.  I promise.

Lastly, don't forget Sweets!  Chocolate is very important when the days are short and dark and the temperatures are low.  Of course, chocolate is very important when the days are long and bright and temperatures are high!  But seriously, in this bitter cold, you don't have to rationalize!  I also like to take some of the berries we froze last season to make tarts.  Scones are wonderful to have in the house - and not at all as hard to make as people think.  And, of course, since I make butter at home, Buttermilk Pie and Biscuits are in the house a lot.

My point of sharing these various ideas with you is to reinforce how much better you will feel through these short days, snow storms and bitter cold when you have good food bubbling or baking, lovely aromas wafting through the house and some seriously comforting dishes to eat. Forget guilt!  Choose delicious!  

Stay warm!

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Urban Homesteading for One & a Delicious Soup from the Freezer

Over the past week, I have been chief caretaker for my Better Half who went down on the black ice walking the dogs and seriously fractured her wrist.  Her right/dominant wrist, of course.  The damage was so bad that surgery - and plates and wires and pins - were required.  If you've been through this type of injury you know it is a bear.  Lots of pain and immobility.  Lots of ice and pain medications. I have been doing my best to keep things happy, light, efficient, and I am cooking up a storm of course.  I am a firm believer that good food is a cure in itself - for anything.  It is right?

I have learned some valuable lessons,  so I thought I would share. We have an excellent division of labor here at our beloved Il Moya - our urban homestead.  And I realize now, how much it is a two person operation!  I mean, I personally feel that I am doing pretty well going it alone - but I wouldn't want it as a permament situation!  Oh No.  I haven't worked this hard in - well, maybe never!  Certainly not since we decided to take our home and our life together in certain directions.  And certainly not with six furries in the house!

First of all, there is of course, the paramount issues relating to taking care of Better Half's needs and requests - as it should be.  Then there are our two dogs and two cats and the dog and cat we are fostering because their family lost their home in a fire.  I mean they all need attention, exercise, meals, and the occasional intervention.  Well, Better Half doesn't usually require the latter!  

Then there is a laundry list of things that relate directly to our systems of maintaining an urban homestead.  We cook from scratch, for example.  Nothing prepared or processed.  We shop from purveyors who provide us with seasonal, fresh, and humanely raised products and ingredients - so, we don't do "one stop" shopping. During this period, I have never contemplated more how incredibly busy working Moms must view someone like me who makes three, four, sometimes five stops to feed the household.  And usually does it a couple of times a week!  I haven't caved and I won't but I have learned more about the "why" of total supermarket shopping.  I will also say that all of that canning and freezing work in the Fall - well, it was worth every minute!  

As I have explained in other postings, we endeavor to keep the big heater in our home from kicking in, so we employ space heaters, and only in the rooms we are using.  And, as we have a south facing side on the house, we are always attempting to capture passive solar.  So it's open up.  And, close up quickly when the sun is gone!  Get moving.  It seemed so much easier before.

The Cold Frame which we set up this year in our garden is packed with growing things that need tending on a daily basis.  Lettuces, brocolli, beets, collards, etc. are growing away and the temperature must be maintained.  Of course, the weather has been crazy during this period - one day went from 60 degrees to single digits in 10 hours!  And there's the "home" growth to tend to. These include our house plants and those plants we've brought into the house to over winter.  They are all over three floors and they need watering and occasional tending.

Of course, there are also the usual daily activities of living.  I mentioned cooking.  Believe me, that's a walk in the park compared to laundry, stripping beds, dealing with the trash and the recycling, the composter, cleaning rugs where somebody had an "accident", and general home upkeep.

I'm exhausted just looking back at this!  I am learning so much about our living systems, and how we may simplify them even further.  It is a true blessing that I work from home and have a good deal of control over my schedule; I don't know how I'd be holding up under different circumstances!

There is a lot of learning and thinking taking place in this urban homesteader's mind, I have to say.  I don't think I will forget about this and return to business as usual when there are two of us to manage life again.  I'll keep you in the loop and, by the way, thanks, this was very therapeutic!  Now a recipe that I made a few days ago from the freezer.

Recipe:  Cream of Asparagus Soup





I loved making this, because we bought and froze a good deal of local asparagus last Spring when it was in season, and I so enjoy going to the freezer and pulling out a couple of bags.  Frozen asparagus will lose its "snap" of course, but not its flavor and it is wonderful for soups, frittatas/omelets and sauces.  This is so delicious and perhaps will encourage you to freeze local asparagus when it appears this upcoming Spring.

Ingredients

Twelve ounces of frozen asparagus (the asparagus had been briefly blanched prior to freezing) defrosted and chopped
Two large Shallots, chopped 
One small garlic clove, chopped
Four tablespoons of unsalted butter
Four cups of a good low salt or no salt stock of your choice:  Vegetable or Chicken
One cup of heavy cream - or half and half for a bit lighter soup
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
Optional ingredients, see below

Technique

Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a medium sauce pan
Add the chopped shallots and cook over medium heat, stirring until they soften, about five minutes
Add the chopped garlic and stir for about one minute
Add the chopped asparagus and another tablespoon of butter and cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes
Add the stock, stir, and bring the mixture to a quick boil, turn it down to a simmer and let it simmer on low to medium low with a lid on the pot for about 15 minutes - keep an eye on it.

Puree:  When the asparagus is soft and the flavors have incorporated, puree the mixture.  You can do this by adding a cup at a time to a blender or food processor but be careful with hot liquid in either.   The other option is what I do - and I highly recommend this piece of equipment - if you have one, use an Immersion Blender (a hand held stick shaped tool) that allows you to puree the mixture in the pot with no pouring required.  However you make the puree, you want the mixture to be creamy with very little solids at all.  If you want you can also let the mixture cool and strain it to insure no "strings" or bits of solid will be in the soup at all.  I would do that for company but it's delicious without the strain.

For service, reheat it slowly, add the last tablespoon of butter and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with toasted croutons 

Options Ingredients:  Add thinly sliced toasted almonds to each bowl at service.  Add your favorite herb sprinkled over the soup at the end of cooking time, and stir into the soup.  A dollop of sour cream at service is wonderful. Or top each bowl with crispy bacon bits.
Enjoy!

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Reader Requested Recipes - Part III

Probably - no, not probably, for sure - Baked Macaroni and Cheese would be on my Desert Island Food list.  Life without it would be impossible.  That's true reallly any time of the year, but in the colder months, nothing replaces it!  

This is a way of making Mac 'n Cheese that I love to employ when my cheese drawer is chock full of still good, but oft eaten, pieces of cheese - and always, always, I have some good Canadian Cheddar in the house.  A good cheddar is something that must be part of your "keep stocked" efforts.  I have been especially strict about this since we gave up "american cheese" - you know, the processed stuff. I have loved american cheese with a serious love all of my life, but for me, I decided it was time to part ways. I recovered from a long time love of Velveeta too, but that was some time ago and a story for another day.

I also employ a technique with this recipe that I have named a "reverse roux" to make mac 'n cheese.  Don't look it up. I made the name up!  I like it though.  What do you think? Over the years, I have spent a good deal of time learning to make good roux.  A roux is indispensible for a jambalaya, a bechamel, and a host of other things.  That said, sometimes when time is short and you just want to get the macaroni casserole into the oven - this technique works really well, is easy, and takes less time.

Recipe (But really just technique):  Bits and Pieces Baked Macaroni and Cheeses


 Ingredients

A regular sized box of whatever pasta you like to make macaroni and cheese with - for this most recent batch I used leftover dry pasta from the pantry - half of a box of Farfalle and half of a box of Penne.  See - it really is, "bits and pieces"!

Next, get into the cheese drawer in your 'fridge - or wherever you store your cheese - and start to decide what is not going to make the cheese board again, but is still perfect or nearly perfect.  Last time around I used Comte', Smoked Gouda, some previously grated Parmesan, and of course, Cheddar.

After you select all of your cheese, grate everything on the wide grate on your hand grater - You don't want it too fine. The amount/volume of cheeses you use is really up to you.    I like mac 'n cheese to be ridiculously cheesy.  For the batch pictured here, I had about three cups of grated cheeses. If you have parmesan that you grated for last night's pasta, you don't have to grate that, of course!  Mix all of the cheeses together and set the bowl aside.

Next, cook your pasta.  Knock about 1 minute or two off of the box instructions so that your baked pasta has some al dente quality to it after almost an hour in the oven. Remember to add a good handful of salt to your water.

Drain the pasta into a big strainer and put your pot back on the stove.  One pot, one bowl, one casserole dish for this one - that's enough!

Now - put a stick of butter (yes, a stick, it's mac 'n cheese, after all) into your pot, turn it on medium and melt the butter completely but don't let it brown.  When it is completely melted, add two cups of whole milk.  If you want, and it's in the 'fridge, and you are feeling you need more richness, you can use one cup of milk and one cup of half and half.  If I have half and half, I almost always feel that I "need more richness".  Honesty - my policy.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk the butter and the milk together and keep it on a low heat as it slowly gets hot.  Don't rush it.

While the mixture is warming, rub the inside of your casserole with softened butter.  If you want some extra kick you can also rub the casserole with a half of a garlic clove.  Depending on my mood, I either love a little garlic in my mac 'n cheese or I find it interferring with my experience. It's up to you.

Get your bowl of mixed, grated cheeses and stir in a good half cup or more of regular flour onto the grated cheeses. You want to see the flour.  Add a teaspoon of kosher salt and a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.  I like my mac 'n cheese peppery always, so add less if you are not a fan. Stir.

Pour the cooked pasta into the buttered casserole dish and set it aside.

Pour the grated cheeses and flour mixture into the warm milk and butter.  Set the heat to medium, and stay right at the pot, whisking at least every minute or more.  You will see that the mixture will start thickening up relatively quickly.  It will be thick enough in five minutes if not sooner. Much faster than a roux.

Pour the thickened mixture over the pasta in the casserole and stir it a bit so that it is evenly distributed.

Put the casserole into the 375 degree oven, covered with foil, for 40 - 45 minutes.

You want to see the mixture bubbling when you take the foil off.  So, if you check it and it's not bubbling, place the foil back on and put it back in the over for another five minutes or so.

When the consistency is where you want it, take the casserole out, turn on your broiler, make sure that you have a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and put the casserole under the broiler.  Do not leave it.  You have to keep your eye on it.  When it is as browned on top as you want, remove it.

Let the casserole sit for about 15 minutes prior to service.  It needs to "set up" and it is going to be molten lava hot anyway.

I think that you will find that your "bits and pieces' mac 'n cheese has a wonderful and different flavor - It has to! It has a different cheese mixture almost every time.  I mean what could be better?  Consistency and novelty all wrapped up in gooey deliciousness.

Enjoy!

Reader Requested Recipes - Part II

Happy New Year!  As many of you know, I have been doing a lot of cooking and trying out recipe variations over my winter break, and I am glad that so many of you have asked for the recipes.  As it is 10 degrees outside, I am going to post three of those recipes today - under separate Blog posts. I'm sure not going anywhere! It's too cold! This first one is a great appetizer/entertaining recipe that is wonderful with cocktails and contains Bourbon - one of my favorite ingredients!  The other two dishes are just perfect for the weather we are having now - rich, cheesy, spicy and comforting.

Recipe:  Bourbon Chicken Liver Pate'
(adapted from epicurious)


Ingredients

One stick of unsalted butter
One cup of finely chopped onion
One large garlic clove, minced
One quarter teaspoon dried thyme
One quarter teaspoon dried majoram
One quarter teaspoon dried sage
Three quarters teaspoon Kosher salt
One quarter teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One eighth of a teaspoon of ground allspice
One pound of chicken livers, trimmed (make sure all of the sinewy bits are pulled off)
Two tablespoons of Bourbon
A one cup or two 1/2 cup ramekins or Welke Jars

Technique

Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over moderatly low heat, add the onion and garlic and stir it until they are softened.  This will take about five minutes.  Add all of the herbs, the salt and pepper, the allspice and the chicken livers.  

Cook the mixture until the livers are cooked outside but still pink on the inside.  This will take about eight minutes.  Be careful to keep the livers pink inside; you don't want them overcooked.

Stir the Bourbon into the mixture and remove the pan from the heat.  Let it cool a bit.

Puree the mixture in a food processor until it is smooth.

Transfer the mixture to one or two ramekins or jars -whatever you are using.  Smooth the top.

Chill the pate' for at least two hours or more before service.
Serve with toasted baquette slices or crackers.

Note:  You can keep the pate' up to two weeks if you top each ramekin with a "seal" of clarified butter.  Use Ghee or make your own and pour enough over the top of the pate' to cover the top.  Put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until the clarified butter has solidified, then cover tightly with plastic wrap.  This process will definitely preserve the pate'.  I just never have to preserve it because it is gone pretty quickly!

Enjoy!

Friday, December 27, 2013

Readers Requested Recipes

I hope all of you are having a wonderful, relaxing, revitalizing & tasty Holiday season.

Over the past few days I have posted a few favorite holiday dishes - I use them because they are just my kind of seasonal, easy and delicious recipes.  At this time of year I spend a lot of time in the kitchen as I know many of you do as well. As a matter of fact, even when friends and family are here, and I am not cooking, I am in the kitchen!  It really is the place where folks gather isn't it? That said, it is nice to exit the kitchen once in awhile - but when we're entertaining, I have a dickens of a time moving the group out! I bring this up because it is my goal to have as much cooked, baked and finished when guests arrive or else in our small home it looks like I'm conducting a cooking class! So the recipes I choose are almost always done or just need a few steps to be complete when folks arrive.

I was so happy to hear from a number of folks requesting the recipes for some of the recent dishes I posted on my Facebook page. So, let's start with a favorite and versatile dessert that is always a hit and really straightforward and easy to put together. And it is even better if you make it the day before you are going to serve it!





Recipe:  Pisciotta - Olive Oil Cake with a Limoncello Glaze (adapted from the late, great Marcella Hazan) 

Ingredients

Two large eggs
One half cup, plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
The zest of one lemon
Kosher salt
1/3 cup dry Marsala (not something we always have around, so I have substituted cognac, and once, bourbon)
One third of a cup of whole milk
Three fourths of a cup of extra virgin olive oil
One eighth of a cup of extra virgin olive oil - for greasing the cake pan
One tablespoon of baking powder 
One and one half cups of all purpose flour
A round cake pan

Technique

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk them with the all of the sugar - you want a pale, foamy mixture so whisk well.  You can also use a mixer.
Add the lemon zest, a pinch of salt, the Marsala, the milk, and the 3/4 cup of olive oil. Whisk a bit to incorporate.
Mix the baking powder with the flour and add it to the other ingredients. Mix well.
Smear the baking pan with the rest of the olive oil and pour the batter into the pan.

Bake in the upper third of your oven for 50 minutes.

The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean when pushed into the center of the cake.

When the cake has cooled for about 10 minutes, brush about a half cup of Limoncello liqueur all over the cake.  Wait a minute or two between brushings. 

Note:  If I have berries - strawberries or blueberries work best - and I have the time, I make a "Berry Concasse" to pour over slices of the cake.  Just chop the berries, add sugar to taste, and a shot or two of Cointreu or Triple Sec and bring the berries to a boil. Lower the heat to medium/low, stirring regularly until the mixture thickens.  Store in the refrigerator and remember to take it out about a half hour before service.

Enjoy!

Next Post:  Bourbon Chicken Liver Pate