Carrot Cake

Baking up another batch of carrot cupcakes today for my niece's birthday.  She personally requested it.  I suspect not so much for the cake, more for the icing.

And I couldn't find the recipe for the Cream Cheese icing from CI.  The one that they added buttermilk powder to stiff it up.  I love cream cheese icing, who doesn't, but it's always been too soft for piping on cupcakes.  Until this frosting recipe from CI.

I thought I already put the recipe here, given that I've made it only about hundreds of times.  But nope.  Had to dig through tons of copies of CI magazines to find the frosting recipe again.  The carrot cake recipe is from The Cooking Photographer.  Everyone loves that carrot cake, so I'm keeping it.

Carrot Cake
   2 cups all purpose flour
   2 tsp baking soda
   2 tsp cinnamon
   1/2 tsp salt

   3 eggs
   3/4 cup oil
   3/4 cup buttermilk
   2 cups sugar
   2 tsp vanilla extract

   1 8-oz can crushed pineapple
   2 cups shredded carrot
   1 cup unsweetened coconut
   1 cup chopped nuts.

For cupcakes, bake at 350F for 18-22 minutes.

Frosting
   16 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
   3 cups (12 ounces) confectioners' sugar
   1/3 cup buttermilk powder
   2 tsp vanilla extract
   1/4 tsp salt
   12 ounces cream cheese, chilled and cut into 12 equal pieces

Galbi / Kalbi

This Galbi recipe was so good.  My son, the extremely picky eater, liked it a lot.  He's the foodie in the family. This recipe is definitely a keeper.  I'll make it again and post pictures then, maybe.

5 pounds Korean style beef short ribs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup mirin (rice wine)
1 small onion, peeled and finely grated
1 small Asian pear or Bosc pear, peeled and finely grated
4 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon grated ginger.

Sprinkle brown sugar over beef and mix well to evenly coat. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while preparing marinade.

In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Transfer beef into a large sealable freezer bag. Add marinade, press out excess air from bags, and seal. Turn bag over several times to ensure beef is evenly coated.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium-hot. Drain excess marinade off beef. Grill short ribs, turning once, to desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, if desired.

Serve whole pieces as a main course or cut into smaller pieces, using kitchen shears, for a starter or party nibble.

Or, bake in oven at 375F for 20 minutes.  Broil for 5 minutes.

Reduce marinate into a glaze to grilled meat.

Update:  The reduced marinate turned to a very unappetizing muddy brown color, and tasted too sweet.  I wouldn't do this again.