Shelly Cooke, CEO of The Essential Helper

If you're like me, most days the real work begins after you leave work!  Picking up dry cleaning, going to the grocery, stopping by the bank, the pharmacy, the library and the vet.  And then there's the housecleaning.  And laundry. And, and, and the list goes on and on.  Shelly Cooke is the CEO of a new concierge business in town called The Essential Helper.  If you're looking for a great gift idea, a gift from The Essential Helper is a blessing for the busy people on your list.  For more information, visit http://www.theessentialhelper.com/.

Shops of Hyde Park

For more information on the shops of Hyde Park visit http://hydeparksquare.org/.

CET Holiday Dinner

Watch Amy's Table on CET and click read more at the end of this post to see her holiday dinner recipes!

Christopher Kimball: America's Best Lost Recipes

If you have a yen for cold-oven pound cake, Hummingbird Cake, Mile-High Bologna Pie, Or Mashed-Potato Fudge, fear not!  You'll find these recipes and more like them in America's Best Lost Recipes, a book that grew out of a nationwide contest for the best heirloom recipes.  For more information, visit http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore.asp.  For America's Best Lost Recipes Wacky Cake recipe click read more at the end of this post.

Mary Ivers from Dress for Success

For more information about Dress for Success visit http://www.dressforsuccess.org/.  For more information about Dress for Success in Cincinnati visit http://www.dfscincy.org/.

Amy's CET Holiday Dinner 

Beef Tenderloin 

Beef tenderloin is a dinner party staple for me. While it is expensive, it’s pretty fool proof and always delicious. Serve it with either the Horseradish Cream Sauce of the Blue Cheese butter. Mushroom Potatoes and Creamed Spinach are nice accompaniments. Go all the
way and serve Creamy Cheesecake for dessert.

15 organic lemons
One 4 pound beef tenderloin, trimmed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 500F. Rub the tenderloin with olive oil; season generously with salt and
pepper. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over high heat. Add beef; sear until brown on all
sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer beef to a rimmed baking sheet. Rub all over with 1
tablespoon Dijon mustard. Place in oven; immediately reduce heat to 350°F. To end up with
perfectly medium rare beef, roast until thermometer inserted into center of beef registers
120-125°F, about 35 minutes. Transfer beef to cutting board; tent with foil and let rest 10
minutes before slicing.

To Serve: Slice and serve with Horseradish Cream Sauce or Blue Cheese Butter.

Beef Tenderloin with
Horseradish Cream Sauce

Serves 6

Wine Suggestion: Pinot Noir

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Make Ahead: Tenderloin can be seared ahead. Refrigerate. Just before
roasting, bring back to room temperature before proceeding as
directed.

Tip: Bring the meat to room temperature before cooking. Start in a very
hot oven; immediately reduce the heat. There will be carry over
cooking, so take it out before it’s reached the done-ness you want.
Always let it rest before carving, allowing the juices to settle back
into the meat.

Horseradish Cream Sauce

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup prepared horseradish (not horseradish sauce)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Heavy cream as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together all sauce ingredients. Taste; season with salt and
pepper. Thin with a little heavy cream if needed. Chill until ready to serve.
Makes about ½ cup

Make ahead: Compound butters freeze beautifully. Wrap securely in plastic wrap then a
Ziploc. Slice off pieces as needed. Serve with meats, fish, breads or use to flavor rice,
vegetables or sauces.

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, at room temperature
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
In a medium mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. Transfer mixture to the center of a
piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Fold one edge of the paper over the butter. Roll
back and forth to create a log shape. Twist the ends of the paper; refrigerate until firm. Slice
into coins. Top slices of beef tenderloin or grilled steak with a coin of butter.
Blue Cheese Butter 

Christoper Kimball/America's Best Lost Recipes

Wacky Cake Recipe

America’s Best Lost Recipes
The Editors of Cook’s Country
Mrs. Donald Adam, Detroit Michigan
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup natural cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

1.  Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 – inch square baking pan.

2.  Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in the prepared pan.  Following the photos, make one large and two small craters in the dry ingredients.  Add the oil to the large crater and vinegar and vanilla separately to the small craters.  Pour the water into the pan and mix until a few streaks of flour remain. Immediately put the pan into the oven.

3.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the corner of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan, then dust with confectioners’ sugar.  ( The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)