Asian BBQ Pork

Not really the best photo, but this is a super-fantastic pulled pork recipe. The Cooking Light recipe had 5 spice powder, which I don't keep around. I mean...really...you can make your own 5 spice powder from all the little jars in your spice rack. Why waste money having it already pre-mixed? Anyway...the pork...this stuff just gets better and better with each passing day.

Asian BBQ Pork
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 Tablespoons ketchup
3 Tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons minced ginger root
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Roast:
2 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed
Sauce:
1/2 cup chicken stock or water

Whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Place the roast in a zip-top bag and pour the marinade over it. Squeeze out excess air and close tightly. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight, turning occasionally.

Place the roast and the marinade into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

Remove the roast from the slow cooker using a slotted spoon. Cover it and let it rest for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, turn the slow cooker to HIGH and the stock or water to the meat drippings. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. Shred the pork and serve with the sauce.

Adapted from “Cooking Light Magazine,” March, 2006
*note: Hoisin sauce and dark sesame oil can be found in the Asian food section of your supermarket.

For The Lancaster News

Black & White Chocolate Cake

This was one of the recipes for a food feature about buttermilk. Buttermilk lends a fantastic texture and taste to baked goods. I don't know why we don't use it as much anymore. Anyway, I like this cake recipe because it makes a good, fairly impressive cake to take to a family or church picnic. The layers make people think you are really talented. But it's not that hard...the bottom layer is thick enough from adding the cocoa that it's not really that much of a challenge to spread the yellow layer over top.

Black & White Chocolate Cake
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic.

1 package vanilla cake mix
1 1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup white chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil or grease liberally with butter.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, buttermilk, softened butter, and eggs. Beat on low speed only until combined. Some small lumps may remain. Pour half of the cake batter into a separate bowl and set aside.
To one half of the cake batter, fold in 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1/2 cup for later use.
To the other half of the cake batter, add the cocoa powder, mixing until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, reserving the remaining 1 cup for later use.
Pour the dark chocolate batter into the prepared pan and smooth to even it out.
Carefully spoon the vanilla cake batter on top of the dark chocolate layer. Gently spread to an even layer without disturbing the bottom layer.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the top of the cake with the reserved 1 cup of semi-sweet chips. Wait 5 minutes, then use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate on the top as a frosting. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup of white chips on top and gently press them into the frosting.
From http://www.homecooking.about.com

For The Lancaster News