Dead Animal For Two

Bento-ing

2011-11-30T10:59:00.000-08:00

I think that's a new word: Bento-ing. Maybe I should call it Bento-do, the art of bento. Nah, that's just stupid sounding. Anyways, I've been ill the last week, but that didn't stop me from cooking. I made bentos last night and figured I'd tell you about them, because I totally forgot to take pictures. Oops.

Anyways, they're all low calorie too, although I typically only focus on portion control and not calorie count.

In a 320 ml bento box i placed 3 Swedish meatballs from Ikea, 4 broccoli florets, and homemade Swiss mashed potatoes and a mini clementine orange.

The meatballs are premade and the broccoli was from one of those frozen steamer bags. I just rinsed the orange and stuck it in whole, but you could peel it beforehand if you wanted. The potatoes were way easy as well.

6-10 mini yellow fingerling potatoes, boiled in salted water 15 minutes, drained and mashed roughly with a fork. I dropped in a little butter, a little salt, a little milk, and 1 wedge of those spreadable swiss cheese packets from the Laughing Cow.

Top the whole meal with a 12 oz Ronnybrook Creamline milk and you're all set!

Sacha Inchi aka SaviSeed

2011-11-30T09:31:00.001-08:00

So I picked up a little bag of these to test out. They claim to have one of the highest Omega 3 contents with 3500 mg/oz. They taste like macadamia nuts to me, and I'm not thrilled with the cocoa kissed 70% chocolate (that's probably just a bad choice on my part), but they aren't bad.

A bit of info from their site:

Not just your average seed, sacha inchi seeds are native to the Amazon rainforest and have been cultivated and consumed for centuries in Peru under the name 'Inca Peanut'. SaviSeeds are the fruit of sacha inchi plants, herbaceous vines that produce star-shaped green pods which yield edible seeds - SaviSeeds.

Also known as the Inca Peanut, sacha inchi’s scientific name is Plukenetia volubilis. Sacha inchi has been known by the natives of Peru and other indigenous peoples of the Amazon for centuries. Historians believe the plant has probably been used by the Incas over 3,000 years ago, which is evident from the interpretation of the plant on vessels in Incan tombs.

Sacha inchi has been used traditionally by communities in the Amazon in different meals, such as the inchicapi, a regional soup and as cooked seeds ground up in a sauce. The oil and roasted seeds are common ingredients in cities and towns throughout Peru’s jungle. It is also used externally by Peruvian people as a rejuvenating cream applied on the skin.

Growth:

Beneath the high peaks of the Peruvian Andes Mountains lie highland jungles filled with lush vegetation. Amid the many tropical plant species grow woody, twining vines bearing green pods and small seeds. These shrub-like vines are sacha inchi plants, the source of SaviSeeds. Cultivated in small plantation farms, they grow in rows to a height of 2-3 meters, supported by wooden posts.

-Sacha inchi plants thrive in high humidity, high sunlight exposure and heat.

-The sacha inchi fruit is a star shaped green pod, covered in 3 layers of shell - with each pod containing 3-7 seeds.

Harvest and Transport:

The first crop harvest comes just 7-8 months from the time of planting. After the first harvest, sacha inchi plants produce crops several times throughout the year, and depending on conditions, can produce for as long as ten years. When the sacha inchi pods are ready to pick, they make cracking sounds and turn from green to brown in color. Teams working in fields then pick the star shaped pods from the plants and place into baskets. After being picked, the pods are placed on drying beds (long tables with wire mesh), where they dry in the warm sunshine until the seeds are exposed.

From there, the pods are pressed, removing layers to get to the seed. Once removed, seeds are put into sacks and stored. When sacha inchi farmers have a large enough volume of seeds stored, it’s time to bring them to market. The sacks of seed are transported from the farmer’s land by cart to Lima, and then imported into Canada.

Nutritional Info:

Total Nutrients

SaviSeeds are rich in nutrients - making them a healthy but indulgent snack. Here's why they are called a superfood:

Omega 3

Sacha inchi seeds are the richest source of Omega 3 on the planet! At 7000mg of heart-healthy Omega 3 per one ounce serving, they offer 13 times more Omega 3 than an ounce of wild salmon - without having to deal with unpleasant fishy flavors and aftertastes!

Protein

SaviSeeds are an exceptional source of plant-based protein with 8 grams of protein per ounce – more than most nuts and seeds. SaviSeed is a complete protein source which is rich in both essential and non-essential amino acids. This highly digestible protein is very useful in tissue regeneration and muscle development, and it’s easily digestible… no irritation, gas, or acidity.

Tryptophan

This ancient food source is also a particularly abundant source of tryptophan, an amino acid that can help promote a positive mood – containing about 29 mg of tryptophan per gram of protein, which is more than 8 times higher than roasted turkey.

Antioxidants

Sacha inchi seeds have a high concentration of powerful natural antioxidants like Vitamin E, which helps to ward off cardiovascular disease and cancer by protecting cells from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Gluten-free

All those with gluten intolerances and allergies can also enjoy this nutritious and yummy snack! SaviSeeds are tested and approved to meet international guidelines for gluten free status.

Fiber

A mere one ounce serving of SaviSeed will easily provide you with 5 grams of dietary fiber, which is 20% of recommended daily intake.

Certified Organic

SaviSeeds are organically certified by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), meaning that no chemical fertilizers, synthetic pesticides or herbicides are used during production. Precautions are taken even during transportation and storage to avoid cross contamination between organic sacha inchi and any crops that may not be organic.

Omega 3:

SaviSeeds are the richest source of Omega 3 on the planet!At 7000mg of heart-healthy Omega 3 per one ounce serving, they offer 13 times more Omega 3 than an ounce of wild salmon - and with SaviSeeds, you’ll have no fishy aftertaste!

Since Omega 3 is not naturally produced by the body, it’s essential to consume Omega 3 rich foods like SaviSeed to reduce inflammation and promote heart, joint and mental health , and even help to prevent cancer and disease.

Not only are SaviSeeds amazingly rich in Omega 3, they also contain Omega 6 and 9 in an optimally balanced ratio. Modern day diets have significantly raised levels of Omega 6, as it is found in grains, poultry and eggs. Consuming foods like SaviSeed with higher levels of Omega 3 will balance fatty acid ratios for optimum health.

So how does SaviSeed compare to other commonly known sources of Omega 3? This chart is a great reference - comparing SaviSeed to seeds, nuts and fish! As you can see below, one ounce of Oh Natural SaviSeeds contain 7000 mg of Omega 3 which exceeds even flax seeds’ 6400 mg. While the numbers are close, SaviSeeds are far easier to consume as they don’t require grinding to access nutrients and are far more snackable!

	SEEDS				NUTS			FISH
1 ounce of...	SaviSeed	Chia	Flax	Hemp	Almonds	Walnuts	Pecans	Salmon	Herring	Mackerel
Calories	190	137	150	160	161	173	193	40	45	57
Fat (g)	15	9	12	13	14	17	20	2	3	4
Protein (g)	8	4	5	10	6	7	3	6	5	5
Omega 3 (mg)	7000	4915	6388	2400	2	2542	276	565	488	748
Fiber (g)	5	11	8	2	3	2	3	0	0	0

Banana-Pumpkin Pie Bread

2011-11-17T05:50:00.000-08:00

I've got a very ripe banana sitting in my fridge just waiting for this...

1 cup sugar
4 ounces butter
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup pumpkin (canned)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter and flour a loaf pan or a jumbo muffin tin (holds 9 muffins).

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and the butter. One at a time, add the eggs. Add the bananas and pumpkin. Mix until everything is well combined.

3. In a second bowl, sift together the baking soda, salt, four and spice. Mix the moist ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the loaf pan or muffin tins. Bake in the oven one hour to 1 hour 12 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil if/when turns brownish. Done when toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

4. (NOTE: If wish to just make banana bread, omit the pumpkin, add one additional banana, omit the spice, follow directions as is).

Sunday cooking marathon

2011-11-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

Well, Sunday is typically my cooking marathon. It's when I make up a bunch of meals for our lunches for the week. This weekend I made the normal spaghetti as well as teriyaki chicken legs and seafood chowder and for dinner made a ginger sesame pork with rice and broccoli.

I simply place my homemade teriyaki sauce and the chicken in a slow cooking over for about 1.5-2 hours, depending on if the chicken is frozen or defrosted.

This sauce is super easy too, just add ground beef and mushrooms to your favorite sauce, crumble in some dried oregano and bay and your good to go.

The soup took a bit more effort, but not much.

Brown three pieces of bacon, add 2 cups of chopped potato 2 cups of water, Seasoning (salt, pepper, celery seed, or Everglades seasoning, etc.), bring to a biol, reduce to simmer, add 3 cups milk. Add can of clams + juice (strain to get rid of any grit), hand full of cleaned shrimp, and package of imitation crab rough chopped. Add a flour and water slurry (4 tbs flour + 2 tbs water or so). Simmer until potatoes are cooked through and soup has slightly thickened.

Low Calorie Diet

2011-11-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

So, my mother is on this low calorie diet for the next few weeks and to assist her in still eating food that tastes decent, I'm going to post a few recipes that are big in flavor, but not calories. A thing to note is if you marinate or cook your primary food (meat or veg) in sauce you get the flavor without imparting too many of the calories, as long as you don't serve the sauce poured over the item once you're ready to eat.

Ex. 1: Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich

I have a homemade teriyaki sauce I made and placed chicken drumsticks in with the sauce and cooked it for 1.5 hours on 200F and then pulled the meat off and put it in mini croissants for sandwiches. Have it with carrot and celery sticks or the marinated cucumber salad shown here and you have a very flavorful light meal.

Ex. 2: Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwich

I have a lot of mini croissants at home right now, so you're going to see them in a few of these recipes, but any bread will work, or bypass the bread and stick this on a bed of rocket (arugula) or fresh spinach. There are a few ingredients you may not have heard of before and they are optional, but are worth it if you have an Ikea around you to pick up for $3.99 each (can't beat that):

Seaweed Topping

Herring Roe

Quark

So, easy peasy to make, just slice the bread, smear a bit of quark (you don't need a lot) on both sides, slice thin rounds of cucumbers and add, layer a little bit of smoked salmon, a dollop of the seaweed or roe, some rocket and (if you want total decadence) a slice of crispy bacon. Yum Yum. You can toss on some capers should you not want to try the seaweed or roe, it'll give you the same briny taste.

I'll think of some more and post a bit later. I've got some new foods to try from DHC (a make-up place ironically) so one I make those I'll post. I'm thinking Icelandic Lamb with the Currant and Pumpkin Seed Toasted Pasta and Swedish Prawns in a White Wine Garlic Sauce over Spaghetti. Yummy.

Tacos!

2011-05-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

A quick and easy Taco Salad for dinner last week.

Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt with Roasted Pecans

2011-04-12T14:36:00.002-07:00

1 quart vanilla yogurt
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup whole raw pecans (optional)

Directions

To roast the pecans, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread whole raw pecans over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake pecans for 4-5 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir the pecans to toss around. Bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the pecans begin to give off a sweet scent. Allow to cool and then chop or crush pecans.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients (minus the pecans) and mix well. Using a whisk will help to break up the possible lumps in the mixture. Taste for flavoring. If too sweet, add more yogurt or pumpkin puree. If not pumpkin-y enough, add more pumpkin puree. If not sweet enough, add equal parts maple syrup and brown sugar.

Pour mixture into a prepared ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s guide. Freeze for at least 3-4 hours prior to serving.

Top with chopped roasted pecans when serving.

Homemade Turkey Gravy

2011-04-12T14:36:00.001-07:00

3/4 stick unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 medium onion, chopped
1 cup turkey drippings, fat skimmed
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until very tender and almost golden. Add kosher salt and pepper. Add flour and stir to combine well. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add broth and turkey drippings. If there is not enough turkey drippings, add enough chicken broth to make 2 cups. Stir to combine. Cook until mixture has thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

2011-04-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

For the Gingersnap Crust

3/4 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup finely ground gingersnap crumbs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted plus softened butter to grease pie plate
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven at 375 degrees.

Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch pie plate with softened butter.

In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, gingersnap crumbs, sugar, melted butter and cinnamon. Mix until thoroughly combined. Press mixture into pie plate. Try to make crust as evenly distributed as possible.

Bake crust for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool. If not using the crust right away, simply chill in the refrigerator.

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping

7 1/2 oz. (1/2 can) pumpkin purée
7/8 cups dark brown sugar, divided
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/16 tsp. ground allspice
2 large eggs
3/4 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat pumpkin purée, 5/8 cuop brown sugar and spices in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat until mixture is heated through.

Transfer pumpkin mixture to a food processor (or blender). With the food processor running, add cream cheese, one cube at a time. Continue to blend until smooth. Add the eggs and blend until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Pour mixture into crust (see recipe above). Place pie plate on baking sheet and bake until set, about 30-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sour cream, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.

Remove pie from the oven. Gently spread sour cream mixture over the pie top until evenly covered. Return pie to the oven and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes to set the sour cream topping.

Cool at room temperature and then refrigerate before serving.

Non-Alcoholic Eggnog

2011-04-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

makes 2 servings

2 cups milk
1/4 cup sweetened, condensed milk
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
5 whole cloves
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Combine milk, cloves, cinnamon and evaporated milk over low heat in a deep sauce pan until the mixture is no longer chilled and is heated through. Slowly increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a low boil. Careful not to allow a rolling boil.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat eggs using a stand mixer, electric mixer or your hands until lightened in color and fluffy.

Slowly temper the eggs by adding about 1 tbsp. at a time of the hot milk mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Once enough of the milk mixture is in the egg mixture, pour it all back into the sauce pan. Heat over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. You will know it’s thick when you can leave a clean line on the back of a spoon (see picture above).

Add the heavy whipping cream, nutmeg and vanilla extract to the mixture and heat through. Do not bring to a boil.

Strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer to catch the spices. Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator and let cool for at least one hour, preferably longer.

Serve cold. Garnish with additional grated nutmeg if desired.

Chicken Pot Pies

2011-04-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

makes 4 individual pot pies (with some extra left over, depending on the size of your pot pie dishes)

For the pastry

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
8-10 tbsp. ice water

Directions

Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a freezer for at least 20 minutes, preferably 1 hour.

Combine flour, kosher salt and sugar in a food processor (or a large bowl if mixing by hand). Pulse food processor a few times to mix. Slowly add the chilled butter, pulsing just as much as necessary to break the butter pieces into pea-size lumps. Add 1 tbsp. water at a time, pulsing in between, until dough sticks to itself when pinched.

Remove flour mixture from the food processor and place onto a clean, dry, flat surface. Gently shape into 4 disks. If the dough is too crumbly and refuses to cooperate, add more water, tablespoon by tablespoon, as needed. The goal is to use as little water as possible to make it stay together. You will be able to see little specs of butter within the dough. These bits of butter, as they melt in the oven, will help make the crust flaky and delicious.

Sprinkle each disk lightly with flour and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place in fridge for at least 20 minutes, preferably 1 hour.

Follow the directions below for making the chicken pot pies.
For the chicken pot pies:

1 tbsp. olive oil
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
5 cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 sticks plus 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 medium carrots, diced
2 cups frozen peas
10 oz. frozen pearl onions
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced

1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. milk
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Generously sprinkle chicken breasts with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place chicken breasts in skillet, cover and cook until golden brown on both sides. Once cooked through, allow to cool. Reserve drippings from pan as well. Once cooled, chop chicken into bite size 1/2-inch cubes and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, heat the chicken stock over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the bouillon cubes and dissolve completely. Set aside.

In a saute pan, heat 1/2 tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Add diced carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat unsalted butter in a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add onions and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently. Be careful not to let the butter burn in the pot. Add the flour and mix to combine, stirring frequently for an additional minute. Add the chicken stock mixture to the onions. Continue to heat over medium heat until sauce is thickened, about 5-10 minutes.

Once thickened, add 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, heavy cream, cubed chicken, carrots, peas, pearl onions, parsley and the reserved chicken drippings. Mix well. Season with salt and/or pepper to taste, if applicable.

Remove dough disks from the refrigerator. Sprinkle some flour over a dry, clean surface and roll out dough to fit the size of your oven-proof baking dish. This will be the bottom of your pot pie. You will want to gently press the dough into the pot pie dish, allowing for the dough to reach the sides and bottom of the dish. Repeat this step for the remaining dishes.

Divide the filling equally between the 4 pot pie dishes. Divide the remaining dough to make circles large enough to cover each dish, with extra to overlap the sides of the dishes.

Make an egg wash by beating together the egg and 1 tbsp. milk in a small bowl. Brush the sides and edges of the dough on each dish with the egg wash. Gently place the dough tops on each of the dishes and trim off excess dough with a knife or fork. Crimp edges with a fork or your fingers. Brush the tops of the pot pies with the egg wash. Make 2-3 slits on the top of the pot pies to allow for steam to escape during baking.

Place pot pies on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, or until the tops are golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. If the tops start to become too golden brown during cooking, place aluminum foil over the pot pies to prevent burning.

Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes after removing from the oven.

Using the Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat

2011-04-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

Using the Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat

I came across this post and a few others at A Sweet Pea Chef. It's a great, easy to understand method to tell when meat is cooked.

All of the following tests will be compared to how parts of your hand feel in different positions. It is important that your hand be relaxed so you get a good idea of what the meat will feel like. Each example involves you using the index finger of your “poking” or “feeling” hand to press on the fleshy area between your thumb and base of your palm on the other hand (Look at the photos below if this sounds confusing). You will be comparing the feeling in this area of your palm with that of the center of the meat you’re cooking.

Raw

To get a good indicator of what raw meat feels like, open the palm of your hand and relax it. Take the index finger of your other hand and push on the fleshy area between your thumb and base of your palm.

Rare

Press the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. The fleshy area below your thumb should not be tough at all and should give when touched. Now, open up your palm again to compare how this compares to the Raw feeling.

Medium-Rare

Gently press the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb. The fleshy area below your thumb will be what it feels like when meat is Medium-Rare, which is more firm and less giving, but still spongy.

Medium

Gently press the tip of your ring finger and the tip of your thumb together. The fleshy area beneath your thumb should still give a little but be getting more firm.

Well-Done

Gently press the tip of your pinky finger to the tip of your thumb. The fleshy area beneath your thumb should feel pretty firm, yet springy.

Okay, now that you’re an expert for how to use these tests to check for doneness, keep in mind one thing: meat continues to cook even after it’s removed from the heat. So, if you’re wanting a steak cooked at medium-rare, for example, you should remove the steak from the heat when it is about medium and let it rest for approximately 5-10 minutes. As the steak rests, it will continue to cook to medium-well.

Cucumber Salad Recipe

2011-04-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

Cucumber Salad Recipe

2 large cucumbers
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 2/3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp. (low sodium) soy sauce
1/2 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
Directions

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, soy sauce and ginger and mix well.

Partially peel the cucumbers, leaving alternating strips of peel on each cucumber (see photos). Slice cucumbers in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully remove the seeds and discard. Slice cucumbers horizontally and very thinly. Add cucumber slices to vinegar mixture and toss to coat

Refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.

Serve cold. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Panko-Crusted Tilapia and Lemon Snap Peas

2011-04-12T09:44:00.001-07:00

Panko-Crusted Tilapia

makes 2 servings

1/2 tbsp. olive oil
2 Tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup unseasoned Panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
optional: thinly sliced lemons for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium-sized shallow dish, combine melted butter, garlic powder and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Set aside.

In another medium-sized shallow dish, combine Panko breadcrumbs and the rest of the dry seasonings. Mix well.

Gently coat each fillet with the butter mixture and then with the Panko mixture, taking care to coat with as much Panko coating as possible.

Heat 1/2 tbsp. olive oil over high heat in a non-stick, oven-safe skillet. Once oil and pan are hot, add the Panko-coated fillets. Pour the remaining lemon-butter mixture over and around the fish and carefully pat as much of the remaining Panko coating on the fish as possible. Throw in a few thinly sliced lemons to brown as well (if you wish, for garnish and added lemon flavor). Heat on high until the bottom side turns golden brown and the butter starts to brown, about 2-4 minutes. Careful not to burn the butter or the fish.

Once the bottom side is golden brown, carefully flip the fillets over and place the skillet into the oven. Bake until the fish breaks apart easily with the twist of a fork, about 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the fillets. Careful not to overcook at this point.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Garnish with a slice of lemon, if you’d like. I do.

Lemon Snap Peas

serves 3

2 tbsp. unsalted butter
12 oz. fresh sugar snap peas, de-stringed
1 tsp. lemon zest, freshly grated
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
optional: 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, minced
Directions

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas and toss to coat. Cook snap peas over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the lemon zest, salt and pepper (and thyme, if you wish) and cook an additional 3-5 minutes, until the snap peas begin to puff up and are crisp, yet tender. Serve immediately.

Roasted Fennel and Italian Sausage Pizza with Garlic White Sauce

2011-04-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

For the Garlic White Sauce:

(yields enough to cover 1-2 medium pizzas)

3 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup parmesan, shredded

Directions

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add flour and stir completely to make a roux. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in milk slowly and cook until thickened to desired consistency. Add cheese and stir to melt. Season with salt and pepper, adding more to taste if necessary.

For the Roasted Fennel and Italian Sausage Pizza:

(yields 1 medium pizza, about 8-10 slices)

I pizza crust (might I suggest my Honey Whole Wheat Pizza Dough?)
1/2 cup Garlic White Sauce, prepared (see recipe above)
1/4 cup fennel, thinly sliced
2 links good quality Italian sausage
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread out sliced fennel evenly over sheet. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast fennel in oven for 10-13 minutes, or until it starts to turn golden.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add Italian sausage. Break apart into small pieces. Stirring frequently, cook sausage until well-browned and crumbled.

Once fennel is roasted, remove from oven and set aside. Turn heat in oven up to 500 degrees.

Top prepared pizza crust with Garlic White Sauce, then roasted fennel, then crumbled Italian sausage, then mozzarella. Bake 5-10 minutes, or until edges are golden and cheese is bubbly.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza with Spinach and Red Onions

2011-04-12T09:39:00.001-07:00

Chicken Alfredo Pizza with Spinach and Red Onions

recipe yields enough for 1 medium pizza

For the Garlic Alfredo Sauce:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 package cream cheese, softened and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup milk
3 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
kosher salt, to taste

Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, stirring with whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking until smooth. Stir in parmesan and pepper. Season with kosher salt, if needed. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken quickly.
For the Pizza:

1 Pizza crust:

Alfredo sauce (see recipe above)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. kosher salt plus extra to season chicken
½ tsp. ground black pepper plus extra to season chicken
1 cup baby spinach leaves, whole
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 chicken breast, boneless and skinless
6 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
fresh basil leaves, julienned, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken breast generously with kosher salt and pepper. Cook chicken breast in skillet until no longer pink in the middle, about 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, allow to cool and then slice into bite-size pieces. Set aside for later.

Spread the Alfredo sauce (see recipe above) over the pizza dough, leaving about 1/2 inch around the outside edge for the crust. Sprinkle sauce with oregano, basil, thyme, salt and pepper.

Spread the baby spinach leaves evenly across the pizza. Arrange the onion slices and sliced chicken over the spinach. Top with mozzarella slices.

Place the pizza into the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust edges are golden and the cheese is melted. After taking the pizza out of the oven, allow it to cool for a few minutes so that the cheese has time to set. Garnish with fresh, julienned basil leaves if desired. Slice pizza and serve.

Miso-Glazed Tilapia with Bok Choy

2011-04-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

We've been on a Japanese kick this weekend, so expect several new recipes over the next few days....

serves 2 – Adapted from Whole Foods.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tablespoon white miso
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tilapia fillets (about 5 ounces a piece)
4 baby bok choy, halved

Procedure

1. Combine miso, sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of the oil, and 1/2 tablespoon of warm water in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Brush about half of the glaze onto both sides of the tilapia fillets.

2. Pour the remaining oil into a large skillet. Turn the heat to medium. Add the tilapia fillets and cook for about five minutes, flipping halfway through. Add the sliced bok choy on top and let wilt.

3. Pour the remaining glaze on the bok choy. Pour in 2 tablespoons of water, and scrape up any browned bits, lightly breaking up the fish. Cover the skillet and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring every one minute. The bok choy should be tender and wilted, but still bright green. Uncover and reduce liquid to a slightly thickened syrup.

Serve over rice.

Miso-Ponzu glazed Pork Belly and Vegetables

2011-04-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

At around 9:30pm last night I realized I hadn't eaten anything since noon and was a tad hungry. Of course the first thing I pulled out I looked at long and hard before tossing it back in the freezer and grabbing something else.

Pork Belly.

The two most amazing words in the culinary dictionary in my opinion. With thick marbling of creamy white fat and delicately flavored meat it lends itself to almost every cooking style. Last night I decided I wanted a bit of light Asian. A rice bowl became my pallet and my tagine became my canvas.

Recipe:

Roughly cut up daikon, carrots, and potatoes to equal size and lay in the bottom of the tagine.

Place pork belly fat up on top, pour a cup of white wine over all and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In rice bowl add two heaping spoonfuls of white miso paste. Pour in enough ponzu sauce to make a thick syrup. Add a capfull of white vinegar and juice of a quarter lemon. Mix until incorporated and then spoon over pork.

Cook with lid on at 325F for about an hour.

Once the vegetables and meat have started to brown, take pork out, let it rest for 2-3 minutes and then slice into half-inch slices. Pan fry quickly to sear each side and serve.

Southern Born and Bred

2011-04-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

I've been missing the South for a while now. Since I'm heading home in a few weeks I figured I'd start off the weekend right with some decidedly Southern treats. Growing up watching the ospreys high up in that bright blue sky, spanish moss and oak leaves swaying in the salt-tinged air as it blew in over the bayous; musk and earth and magnolia blending with the smell of orange blossoms...

I miss home.

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Hot Boiled Peanuts and Pecan Pie

--------------------

Hot Boiled Peanuts

1 large Pot
2 24 oz. Bags of "green" peanuts or Natural Raw Peanuts
1 Pack of Smoked Pork Neck Bones
1/2 cup or 3/4 cup of Salt (can use sea salt as well)

Usually the peanuts you would use would be "green" peanuts. They are not green, it just means they have not fully dried. But because I live in upstate, NY, I don't have access to such peanuts and I end up using the Raw dried peanuts. What this means to you is that they will end up cooking longer.

The smoked neck bones give the peanuts a nice smokey flavor and allow you to use less salt.

Now fill your pot with water (halfway is good, you can always add more water if needed.)

Toss in 2 or more Smoked Neck Bones

Toss in 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of salt (This is entirely up to you and you can add less salt if you use sea salt instead of the regular stuff)

Turn your stove on high and bring the water to a boil with the Neck Bones and Salt in it.

When the water is boiling go ahead and add 2 bags of peanuts.

The dried peanuts will float. It is ok to pour some of the water into a container and set it aside if there is too much in the pot for you to put all the peanuts in. Put all the nuts in there. Over time, the water will get lower from cooking and you can always add that water back into the pot.

Turn the stove to medium high and put a top on the pot. Be sure the lid has steam vents or a way to vent the steam that doesn't involve having the lid slightly off.

Set your timer for 4 hours if you are using the dried peanuts and 2 hours if using "green" peanuts.

Check every 30 minutes for the water level. Keep it as high as possible without it spilling out.

You can taste these peanuts periodically until they are to your liking. If you over cook them, they will be very mushy.

When the peanuts are close to being done most will have sunk to the bottom of the pot. When these peanuts have cooked to your desired consistency, they are ready to eat!(REMOVE THE SHELL TO EAT THEM) Enjoy!

They are very addictive. You should end up with soft peanuts that are well salted and have a smokey flavor.

If you don't plan to finish every peanut within a couple of days, FREEZE them. If you leave them in the fridge, they will get slimy. You can still eat them like that by re-heating them, removing the slime, but you can avoid that by bagging them up in portions you can manage and putting them in the freezer.

-----------------------

Pecan Pie

For the crust:
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:
1 -1/2 cups pecan halves
4 large eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled to room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)

For the crust: Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to mix. Drop in the small pieces of cold butter and pulse several times until the mixture is crumbly, but some minute pieces of butter are still visible. Sprinkle the water over, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse to combine. When the pastry just comes together, dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a disk about ¾ inch thick. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling.

When ready to roll, place the disk on a lightly floured surface and using a floured rolling pin, roll out the pastry to a round about 14 inches in diameter, to fit a nine inch pie plate. Carefully drape the pastry over the rolling pin and transfer to the pie dish. Gently fit into the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim any overhanging pastry and lightly dust the bottom of the prepared crust with flour. Set aside.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the pecan halves in a dry skillet and lightly toast over medium heat. Watch carefully and move the pecans around the pan with a spatula or wooden spoon. You do not want to brown the pecans, just toast them gently until you can smell a nice, nutty aroma. This will only take about five minutes. Remove the pecans from the heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until thoroughly blended. Add the pecans and stir to distribute evenly. Pour the filling into the prepared crust, pushing the nuts into the filling to make an even layer.

Bake the pie for 40 – 50 minutes until the center is puffed up and no longer wobbly. I recommend that you shield the edges of the crust with foil or a crust shield before the pie goes in the oven. It is hard to do when the pie is hot. Remove the cooked pie from the oven and leave to cool completely. The pie will keep wrapped tightly for two days, or can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then foil and frozen for up to six months.

Serves 6 – 8

Feelin Cajun: Grillades and Gator Bites

2011-04-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Grillades

1 pound beef round steak
1 large onions minced
3 tbsp oil or bacon fat
2 cups boiling water
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 sprig thyme
1/2 can tomato paste (optional)
dash cayenne
1/8 tsp pepper
carrots (optional)
2 tsp garlic powder

Slice the round steak into long finger size strips. Fry meat in oil until brown and set aside. Add tomato paste, water, and seasonings. Cover, lower heat and simmer adding meat (and carrots, if desired), for 45 minutes, Tomatoes may be omitted if brown gravy is desired. For a thicker gravy, remove cover and cook down. Serve over grits or rice.

------------------

Gator Bites

1.00 lb Frozen alligator; thawed
0.25 c Lime juice; fresh
3 cl Garlic; minced
1 Salt
1 Pepper
1 c Flour
1 ts Cayenne pepper
1 ts Chili powder
2 c Vegetable oil; for frying

Cut the alligator into 1/2″ thick steaks and tenderize by pounding with a meat mallet for a minute or two. Cut each steak into strips about the size of your baby finger. Combine the lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Add the alligator, making sure it’s coated with the marinade. Marinate the gator in this mixture for 30 mins. in the frig, turning once during this time.

Combine the flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, cayenne, and chili pepper in a bowl and whisk to mix.

Just before serving, pour the oil to a depth of at least 1″ in a small frying pan or electric skillet, and heat to 350~. Drain the gator and blot dry. Dredge the gator pieces in flour to cover, shaking off the excess.

Fry the gator pieces, turning with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, until golden brown, 1 to 2 mins. total. Work in several batches, so as not to crowd the pan. Drain on paper towels and serve at once.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Drumsticks with Pasta

2011-04-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

We cleaned out the fridge the other night. Between spaghetti and tacos and ham sandwiches we were in the need for something lighter and healthier for dinner. We had some chicken drumsticks defrosted, half a packet of frozen spinach, some mozzarella, and a lovely light white wine and capers left in the refrigerator, so guess what went into the pot?

I let the spinach sit for a bit to thaw and then cut pockets into the drumsticks. after stuffing them with some of the spinach and a bit of the mozzarella I placed them in a small clay pot and browned them with butter.

I then sprinkled about a tablespoon of capers across them, thinly sliced purple onion, crumbled a vegetable bullion atop it all, drizzled a bit of lemon juice and then added about a half cup of white wine and covered and backed the pot at 250F for a little over an hour until the juices ran clear.

Once it was done I took the lid off and let it brown while boiling up some linguine.

After plating the chicken on the pasta we added a bit of minced garlic to the cooking liquid and let it reduce until slightly thickened. It came out amazing. :)

A bit of health and a lot of happiness

2011-02-11T07:36:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to make our food a bit healthier. Eating things like gluten free pasta and Muesli for breakfast. Of course the bacon on our salads at night probably aren't helping any, but they taste good. :)

My favorite brands right now are Familia Swiss Crunch Muesli and Schar pastas.

Familia line:

Schar:

Of course after you have all that healthy food, there's nothing wrong with a little snack.

I also still love Odwalla's Superfood drink and snack bar. Here's a way to cheat and make the drink at home:

How to Make Odwalla Superfood

By WriterGig, eHow Member

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You'll Need:

1-2 Apples
1 Mango
1-2 Bananas
1-2 TB Spirulina
1/4 cup Wheat grass
1/8 cup Barley grass
1/8 cup Wheat sprouts
1 TB Jerusalem artichoke

Juicer

Assemble your ingredients and your juicer or blender to make Odwalla Superfood.

You can make this recipe without the grasses and Jerusalem artichoke if you are unable to procure those ingredients.
Banana & fruit for juicing

Juice or blend together the apple, mango, banana, wheatgrass, barley grass, wheat spouts and Jerusalem artichoke.
Pour juices into a blender, or keep them in the blender if you are using that instead of the juicer.
Spirulina powder

With blender running on medium, add Spirulina powder a tablespoon at a time, using 1 to 3 tablespoons depending on amount of fruit used and your tolerance level. For the basic recipe, 1.5 TB is a good amount. Once the powder is fully incorporated, the Superfood drink is ready.
Pour your drink over ice in a glass and save the unused portion in a glass jar in the refrigerator until use.

Tips & Warnings

In addition to the fruits listed, you may want to add carrots and beets, which are also excellent nutrition.
Tweak the recipe according to your taste preferences. The spirulina is packed with nutrients and excellent for adding to fruit smoothies or vegetables juices as desired.

Bacon Wrapped Roast Chicken with Potatoes & Asparagus

2011-02-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

In a small bowl mix softened butter and herbs de provenance with a bit of sage and mash together.

Rinsing the chicken and then pull the skin away from the breast gently. Spread the butter mixture in between the skin and breast and over the outside of the bird.

Take a small onion or 1/2 an onion and push 4-5 cloves into it. Place in the cavity along with part of a celery stalk. Salt and Pepper the outside and inside of the bird to taste then wrap lightly with bacon.

In a deep sided pan add quartered new potatoes in a single layer, place the bird breast side up on top and add 1-2 cubes of chicken bullion to the pan. Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan.

Wrap bundles of baby asparagus in bacon and place around the bird. Wrapp everything loosely in foil and place in the over at 300F for 1.5 hours. Check by puncturing the joint between the thigh and body, the bird is done if the juices run clear. Take the foil off and let brown for 5-10 minutes or until bacon is crispy but not burnt.

If the bird starts to look dry, baste it with some of the juices collecting in the bottom of the pan.

Attempted dinner tonight: Pan Roasted Maple Dijon Chicken

2011-01-31T05:50:00.000-08:00

Found this on GRIT and figured tonight's a good night to try it out.

Pan Roasted Maple Dijon Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

In sauté pan large enough to hold chicken in single layer, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan, skin-side down, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until chicken is browned; remove.

Increase heat to high, and add chicken stock, syrup and mustard. Bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up brown bits on bottom of pan.

Add chicken back to pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken registers 170°F.

Remove chicken to serving platter. Increase heat to high.

Boil sauce until reduced and slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve. Yields 4 servings.

Bread recipe that actually works!!!

2011-01-31T05:44:00.001-08:00

LOL It seems silly, but I haven't been able to make a proper loaf of bread. Ever. Last night I finally found one that works!

Basic White Bread Recipe

Karen Keb

Homemade bread making just got a whole lot simpler with this Basic White Bread recipe. Enjoy!

3 cups bread flour, packed and leveled
1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
1⁄4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1⁄2 to 1 3⁄4 cups cool water, divided
Coarse cornmeal for dusting

Combine all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Add 1 1⁄2 cups water and stir with rubber spatula. Add remaining water (and more) as needed until you have a thoroughly mixed, wet, sticky mass of dough. (The dough will not be like any other bread you’ve made – this will be much wetter and will not form a ball.)

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 12 to 18 hours.

After 12 to 18 hours have passed, your dough should be dotted with bubbles and more than doubled in size. (It may also have a strong alcohol smell to it, but don’t mind that, it will burn off in the baking.) Dust wooden cutting board with bread flour and, using your plastic dough scrapers, scrape dough loose from sides of bowl and turn out onto board in one piece. Dough will be loose and sticky, but do not add more flour. Dust top lightly with flour and cover with clean cotton or linen tea towel (terry cloth will stick and leave lint on dough). Let dough rise for another 1 to 2 hours.

About 30 minutes before second rise is complete, place your cast-iron pot (without lid) on rack positioned in lower third of oven (not at the very bottom). Heat oven to 475°F.

Once oven has reached 475°, remove pot using heavy-duty potholders (be very careful at this stage – the pot and oven are extremely hot). Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon coarse cornmeal evenly over bottom of pot.

Uncover dough and, using two plastic dough scrapers, shape dough into a ball by folding it over onto itself a few times. With scrapers, lift dough carefully and let it fall into preheated pot by slowly separating the scrapers. Dust top of dough with coarse cornmeal. Cover pot and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove cover from pot and continue baking for additional 15 minutes, or until loaf is browned, but not burned.

Remove pot from oven. With sturdy wooden or metal spatula, pry loaf from pot and transfer to cooling rack. Do not slice bread for minimum of 1 hour – this cooling time completes the process and shouldn’t be overlooked!

*** NOTE ***

I added 1.75 cups of water total and then left the bread to rise for the first time for 20 hours. This made the crust really chewy, but the inside was nice and moist and light. You really do have to leave it for the full hour to rest, anything less does not give good results. Also, I was unable to make an actual ball with the dough, so just be aware of that.

************************************

For those of you who use a bread machine, GRIT has a good article to help you convert these recipes to machine usage. Check it out here.

Pictures of the competition

2010-12-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

Goat Stew

2010-12-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

Came up with the French Goat stew last night utilizing America's Choice Fresh Soup Greens and Stewing Mix which included a carrot, parsnip, onion, turnip, leek, celery, and potato. Browned off a lb of goat meat, diced the rest of the vegetables, added the dill and cilantro they supplied, a bit of tomato, mushrooms, tomato paste and about a cup of red wine, salt and pepper, and some orange peel, then added enough water to cover and let boil for an hour. Added more water and brought the stew back to a low boil for another hour.

It was tasty and gone by the time our cookies were finished cooling. :)

Lamb Stew: Not so much.

2010-12-20T07:44:00.000-08:00

This meal didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. The Lamb stew was pretty basic, browned off lamb neck, onion, carrots, potatoes, turnips, and cilantro with herbs de provence. The problem was that I didn't have any broth or stock on hand or tomato paste, so it was rather bland. Either or of these things would have fixed it easily. The Broccoli was steamed and then croutons, bacon, and vinegar was added with parsley, but it was so cold in the house that by the time we ate the broccoli was cold too. Ick. I don't thing I'd make the vegetables again, but adding wine and some tomato paste to the stew would totally work.

Grandma's apple lavander cake

2010-12-20T07:27:00.000-08:00

1.5 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 tbs of butter
1 diced Golden Delicious apple
+/-handful of rosemary
+/- handful of lavender
cap of orange extract
cap of vanilla extract.

Mix and bake at 400 degrees F for 45 min.

Impromptu Fish Cakes

2010-12-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

We weren't planning on making fish cakes the other night, but apparently if you boil flounder fillets, you get mush; who knew?

Took 4 flounder fish fillets, boiled for three minutes each in the bag in hot water. Mixed the fish with a bit of crab cake seasoning, some paprika, old bay, and panko until a loose crunchy paste formed, then rolled lightly in hands and patted into hamburger shapes and fried lightly in butter over low heat until a nice crunchy brown formed. Served with yellow rice pilaf.

Nutty Chocolate-Raspberry Thumbprints

2010-12-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

Nutty Chocolate-Raspberry Thumbprints
By: Jennie White Royer

Serves: 3 dozen

Ingredients

*Dutch-processed cocoa has deeper flavor than natural cocoa.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup pecans , toasted and chopped fine
6 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup white chocolate chips , melted

Method

1. MAKE DOUGH Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, ad flour mixture, and mix until just combined.

2. SHAPE AND BAKE Place pecans in shallow dish. Roll 1 tablespoon dough into 1-inch ball, then roll in pecans, pressing to adhere. Repeat with remaining dough. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using teaspoon measure, make indentation in center of each ball. Fill each dimple with 1/2 teaspoon jam. Bake until set, about 10 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
**I found placing the dough in the freezer for a minute to firm up made pressing the balls easier.

2. DRIZZLE CHOCOLATE Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate and let sit until chocolate hardens, about 15 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.)

Artichokes: Preparing and Eating

2010-11-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

How to Cook an Artichoke

1. If the artichokes have little thorns on the end of the leaves, take a kitchen scissors and cut of the thorned tips of all of the leaves. This step is mostly for aesthetics as the thorns soften with cooking and pose no threat to the person eating the artichoke.

2. Slice about 3/4 inch to an inch off the tip of the artichoke.

3. Pull off any smaller leaves towards the base and on the stem.

4. Cut excess stem, leaving up to an inch on the artichoke. The stems tend to be more bitter than the rest of the artichoke, but some people like to eat them. Alternatively you can cut off the stems and peel the outside layers which is more fibrous and bitter and cook the stems along with the artichokes.

5. Rinse the artichokes in running cold water.

6. In a large pot, put a couple inches of water, a clove of garlic, a slice of lemon, and a bay leaf (this adds wonderful flavor to the artichokes). Insert a steaming basket. Add the artichokes. Cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 25 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off. Note: artichokes can also be cooked in a pressure cooker (about 15-20 minutes cooking time). Cooking time depends on how large the artichoke is, the larger, the longer it takes to cook.

How to Eat an Artichoke

Artichokes may be eaten cold or hot, but I think they are much better hot. They are served with a dip, either melted butter or mayonaise. My favorite dip is mayo with a little bit of balsamic vinegar mixed in.

1. Pull off outer petals, one at a time.

2. Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal.

Continue until all of the petals are removed.

3. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the "choke") covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.

*****************************************

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

9 oz Cleaned and cooked Artichoke Hearts
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Chervil
1/4 tsp Tarragon
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt

Drain cooked artichoke hearts and put in a small bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over hearts. Chill at least 2 hours.

Serves 4.

Tilapia Meuniere

2010-11-21T09:54:00.000-08:00

*Edited from the 1964 Spices of the World Cookbook by McCormick

1/3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp Everglades Seasoning

Dash Dry Mustard

Dash White Pepper

2 lbs Tilapia (or other firm white fish) Fillets

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/3 c. Lemon juice

1/4 tsp Dill Weed

Paprika

Combine dry ingredients (minus the paprika). Dip fillets in seasoned flour; sauté in butter over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove fillets to heated platter. Add lemon juice and dill weed to butter in skillet; heat and pour over fish. Sprinkle with paprika.

Serve with asparagus spears or green beans.

Serves 4.

Scotch Broth

2010-11-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 onion, diced
1 cup(250 mL)diced celery
1 cup(250 mL)diced peeled carrot
1 cup(250 mL)diced peeled white turnip
1 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) pot barley
8 cups (2 L) lamb stock
1 cup (250 mL) diced peeled potato
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1-1/2cups(375 mL) chopped cooked mutton or lamb neck or stew meat
2 tbsp(25 mL)chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

In stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute onion, celery, carrot, turnip, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add barley; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add stock and 2 cups (500 mL) water; bring to boil. Add potato and thyme; cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender.

Add lamb and parsley; simmer for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

Icky weather = GrubHub.com

2010-11-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

lol So I don't normally order lunch, in fact I still have some left overs in the fridge, but I really don't want to eat it so what do I do? I order Mexican food online. *giggle* I don't know the last time I had Mexican. Wait...yes I do, P and I ordered some at the house one night, but gosh I think that was months ago! Hopefully this place will be decent: Burrito Mariachi in SoHo.

I'll take a picture when it arrives. I ordered a grilled steak (al castor) taco and a chili taco as well as a quesadilla, extra sour cream, and soppillas for dessert.

Man, now I'm getting hungry!

***

Edit:

I HATED this place. Everything was either soggy or burnt. I was expecting this and got something worse than Taco Bell. *bleh!*

Kid Sushi and Faux Wild Boar Pappardelle

2010-11-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

First off my dears, HAPPY SAWHAIN (Halloween)!!!

I think this piece of sushi may be a bit too sweet for me though. *_~

On to dinner:

This was a actually three days in the making, as it's really left overs from a Pork Roast I made on Halloween and a home made spaghetti sauce I made a while back. So let's look at the different aspects, shall we?

Spaghetti Sauce:

* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 6 medium whole tomatoes
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 1 bay leaf
* 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 package chopped shimeji mushrooms
* 1/4 bell pepper diced

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute pepper and onion in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer 30 minutes more.

Pork Roast:

Ingredients

* 1-2 pound pork roast
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 2 small potatoes
* 2 carrots
* 2 small green tomatoes
* 2 cups chopped acorn squash
* 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
* 2 sprigs of thyme
* 1 clove garlic, smashed
* 2 Tbs olive oil
* 1 cup dry white wine
* ½ tsp salt
* black pepper, freshly ground

Directions

1. Remove the leaves from the rosemary springs, and mince well.
2. Add the salt and a pepper and mix well.
3. Add the onion and garlic into the mixture.
4. Add the olive oil and mix together until you have a paste.
5. Rub the mixture over the pork roast. Cover the entire roast, rubbing the mixture in, until you use all the mixture.
6. Place the roast in a roasting pan. Add the thyme and wine to the pan. Add the vegetables.
7. Cover and bake at 350F for 2 hours.
8. Remove the cover and bake for another 30 minutes or until done.
9. Remove the pork roast and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Pappardelle:

Ingredients

* 1 cup sauce
* 2 cups shredded pork roast
* 1 teaspoon fine salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 4 to 6-ounce portions fresh or dry pasta, cooked al dente

Remove the meat from the sauce and set aside. Strain the sauce, blend, and return to the pan. Pull the meat apart and add back to the blended sauce.

Serve over pasta.

Buta no kakuni: Japanese Braised Pork Belly

2010-10-29T11:33:00.001-07:00

Buta no kakuni: Japanese Braised Pork Belly

About 450g / 1 lb pork belly
2 Tbs sugar
1 piece of leek (about 6 inches / 15 cm long or so. You can use the green part too.)
1 large piece of fresh ginger
1 star anise
3 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. sake
2 cups water

Cut the pork into cubes about 1 inch / 2cm or so square. If the skin is still on, leave it on. Heat up a large pot with a heavy bottom. Sauté the pork belly cubes, without any added fat (you don’t need it…) until browned.

When the meat is browned, scrape it to one side and put the sugar in the fat that’s accumulated on the bottom, and stir around until it’s a bit caramelized. Stir and toss so the meat gets coated by the sugar.

Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a simmer and lower the heat. Put a lid on and let it simmer gently for about 3 hours, turning occasionally.

To serve, dredge the pieces carefully out of the very oily cooking liquid, and peel of the thick layer of fat that’s on the skin side of the meat. Drizzle a little bit of the cooking liquid over the cubes.

We have this with very plain vegetables, like broccoli with wasabi sauce. Pickles (oshinko) are good to have too. Hot, plain rice is essential. To eat, take a small piece and put it on top of your hot rice, and let the sauce and fat sort of melt in. A little goes a long way.

Gigot d'agneau a la Tam

2010-10-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Lamb Roast, well you'd think I'd have made it every which way by now, but I managed another version last night.

Rough cut large portions of carrots, onion, potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, and a new squash I found: Zucchini Squash, Lebanese type, Hybrid JEZIRA F1.

Tossed them into a cast iron pan with a cap full of olive oil and a hand full of Herbs d'Provence and then placed the cleaned lamb breast on top and dotted it with butter.

Covered at 350 for an hour the lamb released enough oil to keep the vegetables from burning as well as gave off enough steam to keep the lamb from drying out. I uncovered it for about 5 minutes to brown off the top, but probably could have left it in an extra 5 minutes for a more golden color.

After plating the potatoes and vegetables separately we shredded some nice mild Cheddar on top of the potatoes and added a dollop of sour cream before plating the meat and tucking in.

A Taste of New England

2010-10-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Chesterfield Inn Cream Scones

1 cup unsifted flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 Tablespoons cold butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup dried cranberries

egg wash

Lemon Glaze: juice of half a lemon and enough confectioner’s sugar to make a glaze

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine eggs, cranberries, and heavy cream; stir into flour mixture with a fork, then mix with your hands just enough to combine. Divide dough in half.; shape into rounds about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut each round into fifths and separate wedges slightly on ungreased baking sheet. Brush with egg wash.

Bake for 15 minutes. While the scones are baking, mix up the lemon glaze. Note: it’s easy to over bake these, so remove them from the oven even if you think they’re not done. Let cool, drizzle with lemon glaze.

--------------------------------

Cranberry relish

1 bag fresh cranberries

1 jar orange marmalade

1/2 cup orange juice, and more if needed

Put the cranberries in a saucepan, add the marmalade and orange juice. Cook on low heat until the cranberries pop, and everything has melded together nicely. let cool. Refrigerate until needed. Keeps for at least in a covered refrigerated container.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

2 pounds rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 pound strawberries, quartered and hulled

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oatmeal

3 Tablespoons canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, toss the rhubarb with 3/4 cup of the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In another bowl, toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and let stand for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to the strawberries, discarding any extra liquid from the rhubarb. Add the cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla and stir well. Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13 inch baking pan. Combine all of the remaining ingredients, and mix with your fingers until large crumbs form. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit. Bake 30 minutes at 375. Reduce the heat to 325 and bake for 30 more minutes. Let rest 10 to 20 minutes before serving.

Delicious with ice cream, whipped cream or both!

---------------------------

and even more here!

This is what a market should look like!

2010-10-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

From Field to Table: Kansha Japanese Cooking Lecture

2010-10-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Andoh and Masato Nishihara Discuss Japan's Vegetarian Tradition in NY, October 25, Japan Society

Modernity and tradition coexist in Japan.

Vegan and vegetarian dishes are part of the tradition.

The Japan Society in New York invites you to explore this culinary heritage with Field to Table: The Role of Vegetables in Japanese Diet on October 25th, 2010 at 6:30 PM.

Here's the program outline:

"Japan boasts one of the great vegetarian cuisines of the world, due largely to the fact that Buddhist doctrine prohibited consumption of animal products. Today, vegetarian food has become part of daily cooking, appreciated especially for its nutritionally sound and aesthetically satisfying meals that avoid waste and preserve the earth's natural resources. Japanese food expert Elizabeth Andoh is joined by Masato Nishihara, Executive Chef at Kajitsu restaurant, to discuss the role of vegetables in the Japanese diet."

On October 19, Elizabeth Andoh published Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions (Ten Speed Press).

To give you a taste of what the Field to Table event and her book have to offer, here is a recipe excerpted from Kansha.

Heaven-and-earth tempura pancakes (Ten Chi Kaki Age)

makes 8 pancakes

winter pancakes

1/2 red onion, cut into thin slices through the stem end to make crescent shapes (about 1/3 cup)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Scant 1/3 cup julienne-cut carrot peels (1-inch strips; about 3 ounces)

Scant 1/3 cup julienne-cut Japanese-style sweet potato or other sweet potato peels (1-inch strips; about 21/2 ounces)

summer pancakes

3-ounce chunk bitter melon, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, very thinly sliced, salted with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and drained, about 1/4 cup

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 small zucchini, about 4 ounces total weight, tops trimmed, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut on the diagonal into thin slices, about 2/3 cup

Scant 1/3 cup julienne-cut kabocha squash peels (3/4-inch strips; about 3 ounces)

2 tablespoons finely shredded summer herbs such as fresh shiso leaves

4 or 5 fresh chives, cut into 1/2-inch lengths

batter

Several ice cubes

1/3 cup cold water

1/4 cup self-rising cake flour

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

1 to 2 teaspoons aromatic sesame oil (optional)

condiments

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Generous pinch of kona-zanshō

Generous pinch of tōgarashi

Generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Lemon or lime wedges

Depending upon seasonal availability, choose to make either the winter pancakes or the summer pancakes: To make the winter pancakes, place the red onion in a bowl. With a pastry brush, dust the slices thoroughly with some of the cornstarch. Pull gently to separate the crescent shapes, dusting again with a bit more cornstarch. Add the carrot and sweet potato peels to the bowl and dust with the remaining cornstarch. Toss to distribute the vegetables evenly.

To make the summer pancakes, with a pastry brush, dust the bitter melon slices thoroughly with some of the cornstarch, then place them in a bowl. Dust the zucchini slices and kabocha peels in a similar manner and add them to the bowl; toss to distribute evenly. Dust the shredded shiso leaves and chives with cornstarch and add them to the bowl; toss again to distribute evenly.

Make the batter just before frying: Place the ice cubes in a small bowl with half of the water. Sift the cake flour over the water and stir to mix slightly; there should still be lumps. If needed, add water, a few drops at a time, until the batter is the consistency of a thin pancake batter.

Pour the vegetable oil to a depth of 11/2 inches into a small wok or small, deep skillet. Add the sesame oil and heat slowly. Check the temperature with an unvarnished long wooden chopstick (or a bamboo skewer). Small bubbles will form around the tip when the oil is about 350°F. Wait for about 45 seconds longer to allow the temperature to rise a bit more--to about 370°F--and then test the oil temperature with a few drops of batter. If they sink slightly, then rise to the surface and puff quickly but do not color, the oil is ready. You may need to fry the pancakes in batches to avoid crowding them in the pan. Preheat the oven to 200°F for keeping the cooked pancakes warm.

Spoon a bit of the batter over the cornstarch-dusted vegetables and toss lightly to coat the vegetables with the batter. Dip a large spoon or ladle into the hot oil. Place one-eighth of the vegetable mixture in the bowl of the oil-dipped spoon. Carefully tilt the spoon to slide the pancake into the hot oil, aiming to make a disk about 2 inches in diameter. The batter and cornstarch act as “glue” to keep the vegetable slivers together. Repeat to make more pancakes, being careful not to crowd the pan.

Most important, refrain from touching the pancakes for a full 30 seconds after you place them in the oil. It will seem like an eternity, but gaman will yield the best results. If wayward bits are strewn at the edges of your pan, carefully pick them up and place them on top of the still-moist pancake batter in the center. (Skill with long chopsticks will be well rewarded, though a long-handled fine-mesh skimmer can scoop beneath as well.) If the center of the pancake is very dry, dip the wayward bits in some fresh batter before “gluing” them in place. When the batter in the center of the disk seems barely moist, carefully invert the pancake.

After flipping, allow the pancakes to fry undisturbed for about 1 minute, or until crisp. Using cooking chopsticks or a skimmer, remove the pancakes from the oil and place them on a rack set over a baking sheet to drain. If frying in batches, place the baking sheet in the oven to keep the fried pancakes warm. Use the skimmer to clear the oil of batter bits between batches.

When all of the pancakes are fried, transfer them to paper towels to absorb any additional surface oil.

To serve, line a plate or shallow bamboo basket with folded paper (the Japanese use ones called shikigami or kaishi that are oil-absorbent on one side and oil-repellant on the other). Paper doilies make an attractive alternative. Mix together the salt and 3 peppers in a small bowl. Arrange the pancakes on the folded paper and put the lemon wedges and the pepper mixture on the side.

A Better World View: An Omnivore's Dilemma

2010-10-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Today I'm reading Michael Pollan's: The Omnivore’s Dilemma (A Natural History of Four Meals). While I knew most of what he explains about the new food chain of corn corn corn dinner, it is of course disturbing the hear about the feed lot lives of animals destined for our dinner plates and maybe even worse...what we're eating instead: Corn in every humanly conceivable fashion.

"What should we have for dinner? The question has confronted us since man discovered fire, but according to Michael Pollan, the bestselling author of The Botany of Desire, how we answer it today, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, may well determine our very survival as a species. Should we eat a fast-food hamburger? Something organic? Or perhaps something we hunt, gather, or grow ourselves? The omnivore’s dilemma has returned with a vengeance, as the cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet confronts us with a bewildering and treacherous food landscape. What’s at stake in our eating choices is not only our own and our children’s health, but the health of the environment that sustains life on earth."

It made me look at what's in our pantry again and quiet frankly, I'm ashamed and terrified. Hippocrates (the father of medicine) stated "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food," I think we all need to start adhering to that a bit more. Our refrigerator isn't too bad actually. Our meat is organic, mostly grass-fed or free range, I make our own pickles, freeze our own, fresh organic vegetables, make our own tomato/spaghetti sauce, and preserve my own lemons, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic in hand pressed olive oil. Our bread is normally whole wheat from a local bakery and our jams and spreads are from local farms. Three of our favourite foods are listed below and I would highly recommend people looking into them and similar brands in your own region.

Ronnybrook Farm Dairy: Creamline Milk

Kerrygold: Irish Butter

Jones Dairy Farm: Pork Sausage

A common theme in all of these foods is that they are REAL FOOD. Less than 5 ingredients, all pronounceable by a five year old. Pork, salt, water, spices, vinegar. Milk, sugar, salt, water, cream. Milk, cream, water. Why is this such a hard concept for people to figure out? The more we move away from the natural state of a food (the animal and the plant) and closer towards a bi-product of that being: Corn Flakes, Ketchup, or Mayonnaise; the more we become less 'people' and more 'corn'. I mean, seriously, how can corn be in my Potato au Gratin or soy beans in my Tuna?

I do believe it is up to each and everyone of us to insist that corn and soy should never be a part of a natural food except for corn and soy beans.

Unwrapped Al Pastor Burrito

2010-10-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Took a stab in the dark at making Quidoba's BBQ Pork al pastor burrito last night.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb pork fat
1 Cup white vinegar
1/4 sliced onion
1 Tablespoon cumin powder
5 Cloves (powdered or crushed)
1 segmented orange, crushed and mixed with meat
BBQ sauce (4 tbs + 1/2 cup)

Directions:

Chop meat into 1/2 inch cubes and place in skillet with sliced onion.
Pour vinegar over meat and mix by hand.
Add cumin and cloves and mix by hand.
Crush orange slices and mix into meat mixture.
Drizzle BBQ sauce over top and mix.
Cook on low (200F) for 2 hours.
Last 30 minutes or so add the 1/2 c BBQ sauce and mix again, then return to oven.
Make salsa and boil corn.
Add corn to salsa and mix into rice. Spoon meat over rice, add shredded cheese and sour cream and enjoy!
Serve with limes and cilantro.

Pickled Carrots with Mint

2010-10-18T09:30:00.001-07:00

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into thin sticks
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Add the carrots and cook for 2 mins.; drain and run under cold water to cool. Transfer to a bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, coriander, and mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1.5 cups of water and bring to boil. Pour over the carrots and let cool to room temperature. Add the mint and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

German Pancakes!

2010-10-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

The other day we made a German pancake for lunch -- also called Dutch baby pancake, "Dutch" probably being a corruption of "Deutsch". It's a cross between a Yorkshire pudding and an omelet made with a bit of flour -- it's not like the usual cakey pancakes, but instead rather dense and eggy.

Regardless of its origin, it's very tasty and easy to prepare. This version was printed in the Orange County Register a while back, and touted as a lookalike for the German Pancakes served at the Original Pancake House -- we've made them a number of times since, and it's rapidly becoming a family favorite. I would never have thought of mixing maple syrup and lemon wedges, but it's absolutely delicious.

It swells up rather alarmingly in the oven, then when you take it out it falls faster than you can say "ausgezeichnet" -- faster than I can say it, at any rate. Quite fun.

German Pancakes

3 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
powdered sugar, for garnish
maple syrup and lemon wedges, if desired

Preheat oven to 475° F.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer, or whisk by hand. Mix in the milk, cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla, until the sugar is dissolved. Sift in the flour and mix until smooth. Let the batter stand about 10 minutes.

Coat the bottom of a 9- or 10-inch oven safe skillet with the melted butter. Pour the batter into this pan, and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown on top and dark around the edges. The pancake will rise dramatically during baking.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool about 1 minute; it will collapse as it cools. Loosen the edges of the pancake with a spatula, then slide it from the pan onto a plate. Dust with powdered sugar.

Serve promptly, with maple syrup and lemon wedges.

Makes 2 to 4 servings. Preparation time, 15 minutes; total time, 30 minutes.

Naan for you!

2010-10-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

Naan

2/3 cup warm milk (not hot)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for the bowl
2/3 cup plain yogurt, lightly beaten
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar to the warm milk, and stir. Set aside for 15-20 minutes, until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture has become frothy.

Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, the oil, yogurt, egg, and yeast mixture, and mix well to form a ball of dough.

On a floured work surface, knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth and shiny; form it into a ball. Pour a small amount of oil into a large bowl, and roll the ball of dough in the oil. Cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 500° F, and place in it a large, heavy baking tray to warm.

Punch down the dough and knead it again. Divide it into 8 equal balls. Cover the pieces that you are not working with. Roll each ball into a tear-shaped piece about 1/2-inch thick. Slap 2 or 3 pieces of dough onto the hot baking sheet and return it to the oven. Bake until lightly browned, 5-8 minutes. Repeat with remaining naan.

Makes 8 naan. Active work time, about 25 minutes; total preparation time, about 1 1/2 hours.

Recipe adapted from Mahdur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking (Barron's, 1983).

New Scandinavian Cooking and the Naked Chef

2010-10-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

My two all time favorite cooking show hosts are Jamie Oliver (the Naked Chef himself) and New Scandinavian Cooking's Andreas Viestad from Norway.

Andreas is one of the few TV chefs who can carry on a show just by talking; more often than not he expounds about Norwegian culture and gives added insight on Norwegian cuisine. He is different from many of the other chefs that you see on TV. Cooking with Andreas is not only about the how-to of cooking. It is also a rich learning experience regarding the traditions, culture and lifestyle of both the old and modern-day Norway. He gives you the fascinating story behind every ingredient and dish. In 2003, he published his first English language cookbook titled “Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking”. He combines the elegant simplicity of Provencal and Tuscan cooking with the raw materials of his native Scandinavia. The result is a completely new approach to cooking -- a range of delicious modern dishes with a history dating back to the Vikings.

It doesn't hurt that the kitchen is always on location either.

Jamie is my favorite chef because of his intense desire to better society through the food they eat. In 2004, motivated by the poor state of school dinners in UK schools, Jamie embarked on one of his most ambitious ventures to date. He went back to school with the aim of educating and motivating the kids and dinner ladies to enjoy cooking and eating healthy, nutritious lunches rather than the processed foods that they were used to. Jamie launched a national campaign called Feed Me Better and launched an online petition for better school meals. As a result of the 271,677 signatures on the petition, which Jamie took to 10 Downing Street on 30th March 2005, the government pledged an extra £280 million to improve the standard of school meals, to provide training for dinner ladies and equipment for schools.

Now onto the food!!

***********************************

This delicious tart is one of our favorites, adapted from a recipe by Andreas Viestad of "New Scandinavian Cooking" -- the very dependable pâte sucrée sweet crust is from The Martha Stewart Cookbook, and will even stand up to the extra rolling it inevitably gets when kids see the rolling pin come out of the cupboard.

If you don't have one of these varieties of berries -- blackberries seem to have a much shorter season here than blueberries and raspberries -- use any combination totaling about 18 oz. This may be a little much for the pan, but you can either eat the rest or save them for garnish. I've used mascarpone when I can't find crème frâiche, and it works well too, although I like the crème frâiche a little better -- the filling will be a bit thicker.

Summer Berry Tart

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
5 egg yolks, divided use
4 tablespoons ice water
1 cup (8 oz.) crème frâiche
1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
6 oz. each raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries

For the tart crust, sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, and add the sugar. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Lightly beat 2 egg yolks with the ice water, and add to the flour and butter mixture, mixing with your hands until the dough just holds together, but do not over mix or the crust will be tough.

Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, flattening it into a disk. (This will make the dough easier to roll.) Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured board until about 1/4 inch thick. Gently press the dough into a tart pan with a removable bottom, without stretching the dough. Trim the edges about 3/4 inch longer than the top edge of the pan, and fold this edge in, pressing gently; this extra thickness will help strengthen the edges when you remove the tart from the pan. (Gather the remaining pâte sucrée into a ball and chill for up to a day in the refrigerator or a month in the freezer. It will probably be enough for another full-sized crust.) Lightly press an empty tart pan or pie plate on top of the crust; this will act as a weight and prevent puffing and shrinking while the crust bakes. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the tart shell for 15 minutes. Remove the extra pan and return the pastry to the oven for a few minutes, to let the pastry dry out. Let the tart shell cool on a wire rack before filling.

For the filling, cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the specks of seeds with the tip of a sharp knife; mix this into the crème frâiche, and discard the pod. Add the sugar, then 3 egg yolks, and mix well.

Put the berries into the tart crust, reserving some for garnish if you like, and pour the crème frâiche mixture evenly over the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center is set and golden brown. Garnish with reserved berries, if desired.

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers; this will keep for a day or two.

Makes 1 tart. Preparation time, about 1 hour, plus 1 1/2 hours chilling time for the tart crust.

Hidden Winery and Dinner

2010-10-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

Picked up two bottles of Peasant Wine at the Hidden Winery in Calverton, Long Island.

Potage d'poulet a la Angoulême

Took white wine marinated chicken with herbs d'provance and browned off in a skillet. Meanwhile I added onions, bell pepper, salt and pepper to a stock pot with chicken broth and homemade tomato and mushroom sauce and added about three cups of water. Simmered until chicken was half cooked and then added the chicken to the pot. Carrots, Parsnips, and potatoes were then added, turned to boil for a moment and then to a simmer, covered, for two hours. Twenty minutes before serving I added the last of the summer squash.

Romaine with homemade spicy honey mustard, boiled eggs, bacon, and sun-dried-tomato focaccia croutons with truffle oil.

Vegetables un-wraped! Vernandon Filet Bush Beans uncovered!!

2010-10-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

The delicate, delicious filet bean is one of summer's treasured gifts to the gourmet chef. Until recently, the classic 'haricot vert' was almost exclusively the provenance of European gardens and the finest of fine restaurants in the U.S., who actually flew them in. The authentic, scandalously thin and ever-so delectable Vernandon Filet Bush Bean is now available for kitchen gardens, courtesy of a private breeder in France, to whom we are eternally grateful.

Originally bred for the gourmet filet bean market in Europe, Vernandon is thinner and more tasty than classic American Green Beans. We think that it is the best~it produces heavily on disease-resistant plants with lovely powder-blue blooms, yielding a heavy bounty of slender filets with exceptional uniformity, a 'meaty' texture, a delicate, rich flavor and a fresh, crisp bite. Haricot verts, as fresh and flawless as these, are simply not available in local stores.

Generally, Green Beans have fibrous strings on the outside of their pods that should be removed prior to use, involving tedious prep time in the kitchen. The first "stringless" or modern "snap" green bean was bred in the late 1800s in New York State. These new beans produced pods with little or no fibrous strings and were bred in a range of green, yellow or purple. But the French outdid everyone on the planet with their refined, best-of-the-best Vernandon haricot vert. There is no bean that elicits such admiring murmurs of delight as Vernandon, assembled in uniform stacks on one's plate, tied with a blanched carrot ribbon or dotted with an herbed butter, sensuously melting through its comely pods.

Vernandon is easy to grow. After the soil temperature has warmed up in the spring and there is no more chance of a night frost, direct sow Vernandon into the garden after you have turned it over and muddy clumps have dried out and been broken up. Amend the soil as needed with organic fertilizer, compost and/or well-rotted manure. (Cool wet weather may necessitate a second planting in that any and all bean seeds rot in cold, damp soil.) After planting, refrain from watering until the first sprouts emerge, unless it is very hot and dry. After emergence, and throughout the season, avoid watering the foliage~water as needed by soaking the soil around the bean plants. Harvest daily to increase production when the prized pods are just 1/6" to 1/4" wide and about 6" long with kitchen scissors. No bigger! Vernandon is resistant to bean virus and anthracnose.

There's also Nickel, Soleil, and Roc d'Or Filet Bush Beans and Émérite Filet Pole Beans as well as a collection of their American cousins who have their own special characteristics and delicious uses: Jade Green, Purple Queen and Blue Lake snap Beans and Italian-style Roma II, purple Sequoia and Tamara broad Beans.

Vegetables un-wraped! Sungold Cherry Tomatoes uncovered!!

2010-10-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, Sungold Cherry Tomatoes are a must-grow. They are the eat-them-with-abandon-and-without-guilt candy of the garden. When we trialed them here years ago, we placed a large bowl of the glistening apricot-orange orbs in our break room. Within minutes, they were gone, and we were all addicted. Each year now, we plant Sungold Cherry Tomatoes around our break canopy in the back so we can snack at will over the summer.

Coveted Sungold was an amazing breakthrough by a Japanese breeder in the early 1990s. There still isn't a variety that comes close to its flavor, beauty and long-lasting production. This exquisite gem ripens from green to dark gold, but isn't fully mature until it becomes pale apricot-orange. Watch carefully for the subtle color change, then savor the intensified taste: uniquely rich and sugary, with a hint of tropical fruitiness. Round 1 tomatoes attached to draping, symmetrical limb-like trusses, are borne on indeterminate vines growing to about 3. A bit slow at first, it yields reliably non-stop until the first frost. And it has good disease tolerance (resistant to verticilium and fusarium wilts, tobacco mosaic virus and nematodes). It is everything you could ever ask from a little cherry tomato.

Sungold Tomatoes are started easily from seed six to eight weeks prior to the last frost date in your area. Start them in sterile seed starting soil mixture with a bit of bottom heat to aid germination. Keep them in a warm, brightly lit, well-ventilated area. (Tomato seedlings need bright, strong light~regular windowsills are not bright enough and the plants will get leggy and flop over as they stretch for the light.) Fertilize lightly and increase the pot size as needed. After your last frost date, harden off the seedlings by gradually placing them outside for incrementally longer periods of time over the course of a week to ten days. Prepare fertile tomato beds in full sunlight with lots of compost and/or well-rotted manure. Transplant the seedlings into the prepared bed, burying them one leaf deeper than initially grown. Feed them occasionally as needed and keep them well-watered by soaking the soil and not the leaves~this helps to keep disease off of their leaf surfaces.

Small-type, pop-them-in-your-mouth Tomatoes include: Super Sweet 100, Black Cherry and Sugar Pearl Cherry Tomatoes; Sweet Cluster Tomatoes; and Juliet, Red Jelly Bean and Yellow Jelly Bean Grape Tomatoes. They are each delectable mouthfuls of sweet, sunny summer goodness in varying colors and shapes. For a summer terrace party, they are gorgeous mixed together in a bowl or on little bamboo skewers like strands of jewel-toned lollipops. There is also the Red Currant Tomatoes, a more tart, minuscule heirloom.

Gardening Tip: Taming Tomatoes

The better your tomato crop, the more important it is to support those heavy, leafy vines, laden with ripening fruits. My favorite system is to train them in circular cages~and I don't mean those flimsy ones you buy at the garden center which are neither tall enough nor strong enough to support the weight of indeterminate (vining) varieties. Instead I purchase sheets of concrete reinforcing wire, which is sold at hardware stores in flat rectangular sheets of heavy duty metal grid, with 6-by-6 openings. Just the right size for reaching in to pick. Each sheet, cut in half, will make two 5 tall cylindrical cages. Cut the sheet in half with wire cutters, leaving stubs of wire that can be twisted around the opposite sides to form a cylinder about 18 in diameter. I also snip off the horizontal wire at the bottom, leaving more stubs I can poke into the earth to hold the cage steady. As the tomatoes grow you can train them a little, removing the bottom suckers up to the first fruiting branch, and guiding each uppermost tip to stay within the cage as it grows. But most of the time the vines will simply rest their elbows on the on the wire, so to speak, as they climb, remaining staunchly upright.

A Little Tip from Barbara Damrosch

Vegetables un-wraped! Garlic uncovered!!

2010-10-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

What is better than being enveloped in a seductive, sweet-pungent aromatic cloud of sautéed Garlic when entering a friend's home for dinner? You know something fantastic will be served~a slow-cooked, sumptuous meal, bursting with luscious savory goodness.

Garlic, or Allium sativum, is related to Onions, Shallots, Chives and Leeks. Most experts agree that it comes from Central Asia, where it migrated east toward the Orient, and west toward Europe. The first 'hunter gathers' probably dug wild Garlic and used it as a simple edible bulb. Over the millennium, Garlic has become an essential culinary favorite around the globe, much beloved for its robust, spicy and rich flavor.

The greatest, most true Garlic taste comes from the best varieties that can only be grown in your own garden. Both Hardneck and Softneck Garlic are prized for their culinary and medicinal attributes. Softneck Early Italian Purple Garlic may be planted in either the spring or fall. Hardneck German Red Rocambole Garlic is only available for fall planting. (In colder areas, it should be planted four weeks prior to the first fall frost; in more temperate areas, it may be planted from mid-October through early December.) They are each vigorous growers, producing plump, large cloves with complex flavors and tastes unlike anything you can get in a supermarket or grocery store~the highest, most coveted level of Garlic experience.

Garlic is easy to grow
Start by preparing its bed: turn under or till in compost or well-rotted manure if necessary. Separate the Garlic cloves and plant each individual clove, root end down, 1 deep and 4 to 6 apart in 18 spaced rows. Basically, you need to plant them just deep enough so that the tip lies level with the soil surface. Remember, Garlic loves water and food, but they must have good drainage or they will rot. Keep the bulbs well-watered and weeded; they grow best with at least 1 of water per week. Green shoots will emerge within several weeks of planting. Generally, when Garlic is planted in the early spring, it takes about three and a half months until harvest (it stops growing in summer's high heat, particularly when there is little rainfall.) When planted in the fall, Garlic is ready for harvest at the same time in late summer the following year. (Since it has more time to grow, the heads and cloves are larger.)

To focus Garlic's energy into the production of edible cloves, remove any seed stalks that form. A few weeks before harvest, stop any supplemental watering. An approximate indicator of when to harvest is when the leafs begin to die~when the lower leaves are 50% to 75% brown, or when the entire plant is 40% brown/60% green. Gently dig them out, and brush off as much surface soil as possible. Do not leave them in the sun to cure, as they might get sunburned and rot. Cure the heads in mesh bags (like onion sacks) in a cool, dry spot at 35° to 45°F for about a month. Once cured, you may remove any remaining soil from the outer papery sheaths. Hardneck Garlic may be stored for just two to three months~Softneck Garlic can be stored for up to 10 months.

Vegetables un-wraped! Fingerling Potatoes uncovered!!

2010-10-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

lol okay, so I basically swiped this from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds In Focus: Fingerling Potatoes, but that's okay because it's really very informative and I have links on it. The reason I'm putting this here is for people who (like my father) go to the store and say 'What are these?'

Fingerling Potatoes are small, irregularly shaped, oblong nuggets of goodness with a luscious buttery taste and smooth, slightly waxy and firm flesh. These tender, delicious gourmet spuds look like adorable little baby fingers, just waiting to be coddled in a warm butter bath and powdered with a light sprinkling of fine sea salt, crushed black pepper and finely minced chives or dill.

Circa 1880, French Princess La Ratte Fingerlings have smooth buff-colored skin cloaking creamy golden-yellow flesh with a sweet, nutty flavor and a creamy custard texture. Russian Banana Fingerlings, coming from Europe's northwest Baltic region, have a pale yellow-brown skin and golden ivory flesh. Easy and quick to cook, Fingerlings may be steamed or lightly boiled for 15 to 20 minutes or sautéed in butter for about ten minutes until fork tender. They are also perfect roasted with garlic cloves lightly smathered with olive oil, grilled on kabobs (after a quick parboil) or added to composed salads, since they hold their shape well. Their skins never need be removed for they are rather thin, most delicious and decidedly nutritious. You may even dip little boiled Fingerlings into bubbling cheese fondue.

Never grown your own potatoes? It's really easy.
Growing potatoes is not hard. Everyone with a bit of space should grow their own! First, start with superior planting stock, like ours, that is vigorous and disease-free. Shipped at the proper time for planting once the threat of spring frost has passed, they come in “sets” of miniature seed potatoes that have a higher yield than cut potato pieces (that require fungicide application). In advance, prepare a potato patch with deeply dug and moderately fertile, neutral pH soil that has not been amended with either manure or lime for at least one year. Two weeks before the last spring frost date, plant the mini tubers individually in rows that are 30 inches apart with each about 12” apart in the row, and 2” to 4” deep. Hill them with soil as they grow in order to prevent the ones near the surface from 'greening'. As each plant grows taller (up to about 2 feet tall with abundant dark green foliage), hoe soil around them from time to time. Potatoes grow best in soil that remains cool and evenly moist throughout the summer. Mulching with hay or straw helps to retain moisture and protect the spud hills from summer's scorching heat.

How do you know when to start harvesting? Dig a few out and check out their size~both Princess La Ratte and Russian Banana Fingerlings are ready to harvest about 100 days after planting. Continue to dig them as long as possible. Once the potato patch gets hit by a hard frost, dig them all out. You cannot over winter potatoes outside~they would freeze and rot. But Fingerlings store well once harvested. Store them in a cool, dry spot for up to a few months. One package of ten mini tubers yields one bushel of potatoes, or about 50 pounds of gorgeous, delicious, harvest-with-your-own-hands-from-your-own-garden Fingerlings.

If you want to start growing your own potatoes, definitely plant Fingerlings but also consider our Yellow Finn (good bakers), All Blue (who can resist a blue potato), Red Ruby (for salads or roasting) and Dutch Bintje Potatoes (all purpose but great for French fries).

Awesome pub name!!

2010-10-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

In Greenwich Village, NY

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

2010-10-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. I must say, so far I am thoroughly enjoying the reading. It's easy to understand, humorist, slightly terrifying, and absolutely correct (so far).

"Pollan proposes a new (and very old) answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. By urging us to once again eat food, he challenges the prevailing nutrient-by-nutrient approach — what he calls nutritionism — and proposes an alternative way of eating that is informed by the traditions and ecology of real, well-grown, unprocessed food. Our personal health, he argues, cannot be divorced from the health of the food chains of which we are part."
~michaelpollan.com

What I find absolutely hilarious and more than a bit terrifying is that we have to have someone tell us 1) that we're not eating healthy food, 2) what to eat, and 3) how to eat. o.0 Did a whole chunk of society never eat dinner at their grandparents house growing up? My grandmother made her own preserves, bread, roasts, bullion, rendered fat, grew a garden, had fruit trees, and was active in her yard up until a stroke a few years ago. Her children learned from her and I learned from my father. For example, last week I made Dill Pickles, Preserved Lemons, and Sauerkraut Stew. I keep my renderings for cooking and, though I'm not a baker, I make a mean buttermilk biscuit. :)

All it takes is a bit of time and the inclination. No time? Nope, sorry, can't use that excuse with me. I live in NYC in a tiny apartment with an hour each way commute to work. I normally role into home around 8-9pm and am up at 6am. You can't tell me you don't have time to make something healthy at home. Not sure what to make or confused about all the different items in the grocery store? Here's a rule of thumb, the stuff down the aisles is more expensive and less healthy for you. Most stores arrange 'whole' products: milk, meat, vegetables, fruit, along the outside of the store, so skip the aisles and do your shopping on the fringes.

I keep things very easy when I shop: If I can't pronounce the ingredients listed, I don't buy the item. Monosodium whatever doesn't touch my shopping cart. Which, by the way, I leave at the door. Shopping several times a week in small quantities is an easy way to make sure you buy fresh. I know in car culture that's not easy, but try stopping at farmer's markets and road side stands on the way home instead. Eating local and organic is something we should all strive for. Not because it's the new fad, but because shopping local means you are stimulating your local economy and shopping organic means that your body has a fighting chance of defending itself against any germs that you might come in contact with. (Plus the chance of Salmonella is a heck of a lot less likely on those organic free range hens you see running around behind the marker's market stall than out of some battery unit in Eggland, USA.)

One section I wish he would have spent more time on was regarding why various cultures eat the way they eat and what they eat. For an example, there's a reason the older Japanese in Japan have such long lives and great health: they eat local, mainly seafood, rice and vegetables-including lots of seaweeds, and they live in an area where those foods are prevalent; their body's were built for the diet. Eating fast food and more sedentary lives destroyed the food/body metabolism and creates yet more 'American' looking people. The same thing goes for the Middle East or Europe, or the Americas. Eat what your body needs and be as active as possible.

There's a great conundrum within the nutritionist realm that I find humorous: 'The French Paradox'. Basically, this is when you see a group of people eating 'bad' foods (sweets, high fat content, alcohol, etc.) and yet they are among some of the healthiest people out there. Here's my answer for all the confusion: the French (in particular) eat local, old world foods (whole grains, unrefined sugars, freshly made/butchered/caught meals), lots of vegetables, fruits, and light pastries. They drink moderately and most of the culture either walk, bike, or do some other physical activity several times a day. They don't eat in front of the TV or in the car, a slower, more relaxed meal makes for better digestion, which in turn minimizes bloating, over indulging, and the need to 'clean your plate'.

Am I saying we should all eat like the French? No. You should eat (in my unscientific, unproven opinion and mainly) like how your genetic ancestors did and get exercise. What does that mean? That means if your family for generations only at rice and stews where the meat was brined in a lot of vinegar to help break down the meat, then you should try eating like that a few days a week. Test it for a few days and see if you feel any better. Each person will have to make the decision themselves though based on their own body chemistry.

Button Sugar Cookies

2010-09-27T16:24:00.001-07:00

Recipe here courtesy of Chasing Twilight.

Ingredients

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus a little more for work surface
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large cage-free egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Food coloring
Sanding sugar for sprinkling

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl and then set it aside.

2. Mix the butter and granulated sugar into a seperate bowl and mix that (on medium if you have an electric mixer) until the it’s pale and fluffy.

3. Add an egg and vanilla. By this time I’m sure you’re arm’s getting tired, but if you have an electric mixer, reduce the speed to low.

4. Now add your original flour mixture; and mix them together until no visible difference remains.

5. Divide the dough into thirds, and knead one color of food coloring into the first piece and then your second food coloring into another.

6. Shape all three pieces into disks. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. (About an hour)

7. Preheat your oven to 325F. Remove one disk from refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature until slightly soft, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes.

8. Roll out dough on a piece of lightly floured parchment to a 1/8-inch thickness, dusting with flour as needed.

9. Cut out circles with a 1 3/4 inch round cutter, then lightly press with a 1 1/2 inch round cutter.

10. Make your button holes with a skewer.

11. Reroll scraps, and cut. (If dough becomes too soft because you keep messing up, refrigerate it for 10 minutes and problem solved.)

12. Repeat with remaining dough. Space 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and sprinkle them with the sanding sugar.

13. Bake! Rotate the cookies about halfway through until the edges are golden (16 to 18 minutes), then let them cool completely. Your cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to one week.

Enjoy!

Blind Tiger inspiration

2010-09-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

We met up with a few friends at Blind Tiger Ale House in Greenwich Village a week or two ago and had some great food. Trying a few of their 'on tap' beers gave me some ideas for a dinner and dessert menu.

First: Inspired by the Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge

Thinly pounded goat fillet with a Cuvee des Jocobins Rouge brown piccata sauce made with caper berries, flour, and orange juice.

Secondly: Cigar City Marshall Zhukov

Boil down Cigar City Marshall Zhukov with brown sugar and butter, then add a bit of chocolate sauce and pour over French Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Kalderetang Kambing (Filipino Goat Stew)

2010-09-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 lb goat meat (chevon), cubed

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 piece medium-sized onion, minced

3 pieces medium sized tomatoes, diced

1 cup tomato sauce

3/4 cup bell pepper, sliced

6 tablespoon liver spread

3/4 cup Spanish green olives (optional)

1/2 cup vinegar

1 piece large carrot, cubed

1 piece medium-sized potato, cubed

3 tablespoons cooking oil

2 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine the vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl then marinate the goat meat for at least an hour (This should eliminate the gamey smell and taste of the meat) then separate the meat from the marinade.

2. Pour the cooking oil in a cooking pot or casserole and apply heat.

3. Saute the garlic, onion, and tomatoes

4. Add the marinated goat meat then cook until the color of the outer part turns light brown

5. Put-in the tomato sauce, then allow to cook for 2 minutes

6. Add the water and allow to boil. Simmer for at least 45 minutes or until the meat is tender.

7. Add the liver spread and cook for 5 minutes (You may add water if the sauce seems to dry up)

8. Put-in the potatoes and carrots then simmer for 8 minutes.

9. Add the olives and bell pepper then simmer for another 5 minutes.

10. Add salt and pepper to taste.

11. Serve hot. Share and enjoy!

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

2010-09-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

A little bit of everything went into this: potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, raisins, white asparagus, yellow tomatoes, 1/2 a preserved lemon, and garlic for the vegetables and then I added the lamb. Ras al hanout was rubbed onto both sides and the rinsed and dry patted lamb breast and then the meat was added on top of the vegetables. Pour a 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar in and cover and cook for an hour at 300F.

Serve with couscous and a honey-quark sauce (1tbs honey to 1/4 c. quark).

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

2010-09-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

Moroccan tagines often combine lamb or chicken with a medley of ingredients or seasonings: olives, apples, pears, apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, nuts, with fresh or preserved lemons, with or without honey. Traditional spices that are used to flavor tajines include ground cinnamon, saffron, ginger, cumin, paprika…

This recipe will make enough for 3-4 people.

Buy 1/2 leg of lamb from the butcher (or a shoulder ), still on the bone; at home, clear the meat off the bone, discard some of the excess fat ( not all of it ) and dice it into pieces ( not too small, a good bite size ).

Transfer all meat in a bowl, season it with salt and pepper and mix it with a marinade made of : 4 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 spoon ( soup ) of good honey, 1 gr saffron, 1/2 spoon paprika ( smoked one is better ), 1/2 spoon of ground cumin, 2-3 spoons of tomato paste, and about 4-5 spoons of extra virgin olive oil. Cover with cling film and let rest in the fridge overnight.

Soak 300 gr of dry chickpeas in cold unsalted water for 2-3 hours, then strain and keep on a side.
Start a stock with only the lamb bones ( don’t put in the excess fat ) in cold water; bring slowly to a simmering temperature and skim off the scum with a ladle.

Once the stock has been cleared from all impurities, infuse in it 1/2 a carrot, 1 big onion, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 a leek and some fresh thyme; all veggies must have been sliced finely into a julienne; keep on low heat for another 10 minutes and then move on a side but don’t filter it yet.

Next morning, heat 2-3 spoons of extra virgin olive oil in the tagine and then add the meat with the marinade and brown it well; cover with your stock, add a cinnamon stick, put the lid on and transfer into preheated oven and cook for 1/2 hour at 180 degrees.
Wash and peel some baby potatoes, baby carrots and scallions and add them to the tagine; cook for another 30-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, boil the chickpeas and halve some pink grapes; add these two ingredients to the tagine and cook for further 20 minutes.
Discard the cinnamon stick, add some fresh coriander and serve, with couscous or rice.

Enjoy !

Moroccan Rub Lamb Chops

2010-09-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

6 loin lamb chops
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin, a palm full
2 teaspoons ground turmeric, eyeball it
1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/3 palm full
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 lemon, wedged

Directions

Preheat grill pan to high. Brush chops with a little olive oil. Combine dry spice blend in a small container, cover and shake to combine. Rub spice blend into the chops on both sides. Grill chops 7 to 8 minutes, turning once, for medium rare, 10 to 12 minutes for medium to medium well. Serve with wedges of lemon.

Blueberry Tart with Walnut Crust

2010-09-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

This recipe is adapted from EatingWell.com, Where Good Taste Meets Good Health.

Makes 12 Servings
Total preparation time: 2 hours (including cooling & chilling time)

Ingredients

Filling
8 ounces reduced-fat organic cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
¼ cup reduced-fat organic sour cream
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsps pure maple syrup, preferably grade B, divided
2 cups fresh organic blueberries
Crust
½ cup walnuts, lightly toasted
1 cup whole-wheat graham cracker crumbs (see INGREDIENT NOTE)
1 large free-range egg white
1 Tbsp organic butter, melted
1 Tbsp expeller-pressed peanut or canola oil
Pinch of salt

Special Equipment: 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan

Directions

To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 325°F.
Coarsely chop walnuts in a food processor. Add graham cracker crumbs and process until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the crumb mixture, butter, oil and salt; toss to combine. Press mixture into bottom and ½ inch up the sides of a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan. Set pan on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and slightly darker around edges, about 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
To prepare filling: Beat cream cheese, sour cream and ¼ cup maple syrup in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. When crust is cool, spread filling evenly into it, being careful not to break up the delicate crust. Arrange blueberries on the filling, pressing lightly so they set in. Drizzle remaining 2 Tbsps maple syrup over berries. Chill for at least 1 hour to firm.

INGREDIENT NOTE: To avoid trans fats, look for brands of graham crackers without partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor or place in a large plastic sandwich bag and crush with a rolling pin. (You’ll need about 14 whole-wheat graham cracker squares to make 1 cup of crumbs.)

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Seared Salmon in a Lemon-Dill Sauce

2010-08-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

* 20 oz. Wild Alaskan sock-eye salmon, divided into four 5 oz. filets
* Juice of 1 lemon, divided
* Bunch of fresh dill, minced
* 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
* 3 Tbsp fresh lemon thyme, leaves picked
* Salt and pepper
* 1 small red onion or shallot, minced
* 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup white wine
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 3/4 cup milk

Directions:

Season your salmon filets with salt and pepper and place in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with a good pinch of the fresh dill and fresh thyme. Pat 2 Tbsp of the fresh lemon juice into the fish. Cover, and leave it alone for 10 minutes

Over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp of butter in a saucepan and saute the red onion until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and some of the dill and remaining thyme. Add your remaining lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and the white wine.

Simmer until reduced by about half and add the cream and milk. Season to taste with a bit of salt and pepper, and add any additional fresh herbs. Stir until thickened and then whisk in 2 more Tbsp of butter.

Set aside and keep warm.

---------------------------------

In a skillet large enough to hold all 4 salmon fillets at once, melt 2 Tbsp butter.

When the butter begins to foam and the pan is nice and hot, place the salmon fillets, skin side up, into the pan and sear for 2 minutes.

When the fillets have seared well, flip them over gently and cook for about 30 seconds before adding the Lemon Dill Sauce to the pan.

Gently, add the sauce to the pan, making sure the fillets are submerged evenly.

Simmer in the sauce for another 4 to 8 minutes, depending on preferred temperature. We poached ours for 4 minutes, 20 seconds and the salmon was a delicious medium rare.

Herb'd Mustard Crusted Lamb Shoulder Blades

2010-08-25T05:45:00.001-07:00

Mix a spoonful of cracked Dijon mustard with a tbs of Herbs de Provence and a tbs of Panko until a thick paste.

Rinse and pat dry lamb, salt and pepper vigorously, sear in a hot pan on one side, turn, then smear the paste across the top.

Bake in oven at 400F for ~10 minutes.

Beef Bowl Basics

2010-08-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

Beef bowl is basically just rice topped with Sukiyaki beef, but you can add anything to it really. Here is a basic recipe:

Ingredients

* 2 cups short- or medium-grain rice
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup soy sauce*
* 2 tablespoons sugar*
* 2 tablespoons sake*
* 1 small onion, thinly sliced
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 pound beef sirloin, thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
* Pickled ginger slices (optional)
*Also known as mirin if you buy it prepared in the bottle

Preparation

1. In a 4-quart pan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add rice and salt. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, then cook until almost tender, 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

2. In a small pan, bring soy sauce, sugar, sake, and 3/4 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and reserve.

3. In a 10-inch frying pan over high heat, cook onion in oil until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beef and continue stirring for 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup of soy-sake sauce and stir until beef is cooked, 2 minutes longer.

4. Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with beef, remaining sauce, and cilantro. Serve with ginger, if desired.

Sukiyaki

2010-08-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 pound thinly sliced beef * It tastes better if the beef slices are very thin.
A handful of shirataki noodles (made from yam cakes) or cellophane noodles
7-8 shiitake mushrooms
1 block enoki mushrooms
1 medium negi (onion)
1/2 Chinese cabbage
1 yaki-dofu (grilled tofu)

For sukiyaki sauce:

1/3 cup soy sauce / 3 tbsps sake (Japanese rice wine) / 5 tbsps sugar / 3/4 cup water
or
1 cup mirin and 1/3 cup soy sauce to taste

Preparation:

Cut all ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Arrange all ingredients on a large plate and place the plate at the table. Mix soy sauce, sake, sugar, and water to make sukiyaki sauce. Set an electric pan or a skillet at the table. *After this point, everything is done at the table as you eat. Heat a little oil in the pan. Fry some beef slices, then pour sukiyaki sauce in the pan. Add other ingredients when the sauce starts to boil. Simmer until all ingredients are softened. Dip the cooked sukiyaki into the raw, beaten eggs and begin to eat. As the liquid boils away, add more sukiyaki sauce.

*Makes 4 servings

Lamb and Yogurt Soup

2010-08-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

Lamb and Yogurt Soup

Ingredients:

* 1 1/4 pound lamb, on the bone (I used breast, but neck bones, shank, etc would work)
* 2 carrots, rough chopped
* 3 potatoes, rough chopped
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 3 Tbsp Greek yogurt
* 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
* 1 egg yolk
* the juice of 1/2 lemon
* 1 tsp kirmizi biber, red pepper flakes or paprika
* Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place lamb, carrots, potatoes and cinnamon stick in a large, lidded pan. Pour in 8 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim any scum that forms on surface and reduce heat to low.

Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until the lamb is nearly falling off the bone.

Remove lamb with a slotted spoon and place on a cutting board. remove meat from the bone and chop into small pieces.

Strain the stock, discarding the carrots, potatoes and cinnamon stick. season with salt and pepper and place back in the pan over medium heat until just boiling.

in a deep bowl, whisk together the yogurt and flour. Add the egg yolk and lemon juice and whisk until thoroughly combined. ladle in approximately 1 cup of the hot stock, whisking constantly so that the egg does not curdle.

Reduce heat to low and pour in the yogurt mixture, stirring constantly until well combined.

Return the lamb to the pan and allow to heat through. (about 5 minutes)

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the kirmizi biber, paprika or chili flakes.

Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle the pepper butter over the top.

Serve immediately.

Roasted Lamb in Coffee Sauce

2010-08-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Roasted Lamb in Coffee Sauce
(makes 4+ servings, assuming about a 1 pound leg of lamb)

Ingredients:
1 leg of lamb (boned and tied)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon rosemary (chopped)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup strong black coffee
1 tablespoon cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:
1. Rub the salt and pepper onto the lamb.
2. Spread the mustard on top.
3. Heat the coffee, cream, sugar and brandy until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Place the lamb in a roasting dish and pour the coffee mixture over it.
5. Roast in a preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes, basting a few times.
6. Turn the heat down to 325F for 15 minutes, basting a few times.
7. Let the lamb rest for 15 minutes.
8. Pour the juices into a pan along with the chicken stock and heat until bubbling.

TAGINE OF LAMB WITH APRICOTS

2010-08-18T14:44:00.001-07:00

TAGINE OF LAMB WITH APRICOTS
Sweet and fruity, this classic North African stew can also be made with beef. You can add a bit of chopped preserved lemon rind to balance the sweetness of the fruit, if you wish, but I used grains of paradise to add a peppery, fruity undertone. Recipe adapted from Tagine: Spicy Stews of Morocco, by Ghillie Basan, and other recipes. Serves 4; can be doubled.

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp sliced raw almonds
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp grated or minced fresh ginger
A pinch of saffron threads
2 cinnamon sticks
1-1/2 tsp ground coriander
1-1/2 lb boned lamb, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
24 dried apricots
4 strips of orange peel
1 Tbsp agave nectar or honey (to taste)
1/2 tsp grains of paradise + 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, ground together coarsely in a mortar or spice grinder
Kosher salt, to taste

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the almonds. Stir and cook until the almonds begin to brown. Add the onions, and sauté until they begin to color. Add the garlic, ginger, saffron, cinnamon sticks, and coriander. Stir to combine. Add the lamb, stir to coat with the seasonings, and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until the lamb is lightly browned.

Add 3-1/2 cups of water, or enough to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 1 hour.

When you set the pot to simmer, place the apricots in a bowl or glass measuring cup, and cover with very hot tap water. Leave them to soak for 1 hour while the lamb is cooking. At the end of the hour, drain the fruit and add to the lamb, along with the orange peel. Simmer for 20 minutes more.

Stir in the agave or honey, ground grains of paradise and pepper, and salt to taste. If there is a lot of liquid in the pot, leave uncovered, and simmer 15 minutes more until sauce is reduced and thick. If there's not enough liquid, add water or orange juice to keep the lamb from sticking until it's finished cooking. The lamb should be tender, and the sauce thick and glistening.

Serve hot, with couscous, rice, or chunks of bread to mop up the sauce.

Braised Greek Lamb with Orzo and Spinach

2010-08-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

Dinner tonight to consist of braised Greek lamb breast with wilted spinach. Served over orzo and topped with flaked feta cheese.

Chopped up a large tomato, quarter of a purple onion, 1/2 a package of Shimeji mushrooms, 1 large carrot, and then placed the Greek Seasoned Lamb Breast fat side up in the tagine. Covered the whole thing in this tomato steak sauce P had and added a cinnamon stick to the pot. Slid it into the oven at 350F for 4 hours until the meat slid off the bone.

Piled fresh spinach leaves, a bit of salt, and some good Balsamic Vinegar into the Tomago pan and wilted it until it just started to discolor and was heated through. Served both with Orzo and crumbled Feta Cheese.

Tokyo Banana! lol I love this!

2010-08-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

As you all probably know, I get to try random Japanese treats whenever one of the ExPats at my office comes back from Japan. Today one of the guys brought back Tokyo Banana!

These are just too much fun!

They're basically really light Twinkies with banana flavored custard inside. If you were a banana Laffy-Taffy kid, you have got to try these.

For those hot summer days...

2010-08-16T10:02:00.001-07:00

Smoked Duck Breast Apple Roll with Herb'd Mustard Sauce is a great summer snack and features flavoursome smoked duck breast combined with the crispiness of the apple and cucumber sticks in a delightful herb and mustard sauce is just heaven! I would make this all the time in San Francisco, as our local supplier of duck was less than 30 miles away and very cheep ($3 lb vrs the $10 or so here in NYC). If you are going to buy here in the city, I recommend going to ChinaTown or Flushing to get the best price. You can alternate the smoked for Roast and switch out the herb'd mustard for hoisin with you'd like as well (add some thinly sliced scallion to make it even better if you do). :)

Ingredients:

1 Green Apple
1 Smoked Duck Breast
1-2 Small Cucumbers sliced into sticks

Marinade:

4 tbsp Mustard
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Yogurt
1 tbsp Olive Oil
A pinch of herbs

Method:

1) Thinly slice the apple and set aside a few slices. Shred the rest to form 2-3 inch long pieces and soak in salt water.

2) Peel cucumber and cut into 2-3 inch long pieces.

3) Slice the smoked duck breast into thin pieces

4) Combine ingredients to form marinade sauce.

5) Put 3 pieces of cucumber and apple in each slice of smoked breast and roll-up.

6) Garnish dish with the reserved apple slices and serve with marinade sauce poured on top.

And if you get a chance, go here and see how to make roast pork buns. They're fabulous. (You can use roast peking duck too).

Lambababa....

2010-08-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

Roast Lamb Breast with a Curry Aioli Panko Crust

Ingredients:

2 quarter pieces of lamb breast
1 carrot, sliced or rough chopped
1/2 package of Shimeji (Beech) mushrooms
1/4 sliced tomato
1/4 red onion
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup water
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbs curry aioli (pre-bought or homemade)
1 tbs panko crumbs
1 tsp herbs d'Provance
salt to tase

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry lamb. Mix ailoi, herbs d'Provance, and panko togeter in small bowl, spread over faty side of lamb. (Pre-heat oven to 375F)

In hot skillet sautee onions and mushrooms until wilted, add lamb and sear bony side for 1-2 minutes.

Add tomato, carrot, liquids and bit of salt. Cover and place in oven for one hour.

Curry Aioli

Ingedients:

2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch cumin
Juice and zest 2 limes
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 egg yolk
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon chili paste
Salt to taste

Directions:

To prepare the aioli, in a small sauté pan place the spices and cook over high heat to toast about 1 minute. Place the spices in the bowl of a food processor. Add the zest, juice, ginger, garlic, and egg yolk and run the machine to blend. With the motor running slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Add the chili paste and season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Homemade Macaronni and Cheese

Ingedients:

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2.5 cups milk
2 cup grated cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ package (8 oz.) macaroni

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Blend in flour and gradually add the milk, stirring constantly; add the seasonings. Cook until the sauce is thickened.

Add one cup grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Take off stovetop. Cook macaroni as directed, drain, and add to cheese sauce and mix well. Turn the mixture into greased baking dish or pan. Sprinkle the top with 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese.

Bake covered in a 375°F oven for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and place under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Serves 6-8.

The best thing is that this meal came to about $5 in supplies and was able to be cooked/preped at the same time, so the total work time was only an hour.

Lunch the next day with a sliced kiwi for something 'green'.

Chicken A'la Uno

2010-07-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

We went out with friends last weekend to Uno's and surprise, surprise, we didn't get the pizza. I ended up getting the baked chicken breast with broccoli and baked mash potatoes.

Went home and made to same thing for dinner for a LOT less.

Herbs d'Provence and wine marinated chicken pieces sauteed with a bit of butter gets plated with sauteed broccoli pieces.

For the mashed potatoes I used sweet potatoes and regular baking potatoes, boiled, then mashed with salt, pepper, butter and milk with mozzarella and diced chives. The whole thing was then poured into a ramakin and broiled until golden on top.

Yummy!

Half Moon Chicken and Noodles

2010-07-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

In honor of Half Moon Bay, California and the fact that I dearly miss being able to drive to the various small farms along Highway 1, I came up with this asian homage dinner. Of course I forgot to take photos of it, so I'll have to make it again soon. *shakes head*

1st, you'll need a few supplies not normally found in your average kitchen pantry.

Ingredients:

Circular wonton wrappers (leave them in the freezer, they don't need to be defrosted for this)

Chinese Marinade (or make your own below)

Japanese soup stock

Benito flakes

Sliced mushrooms

Soy sauce

Sweet potatoes (raw-sliced)

Broccoli (raw-sliced)

Chicken pieces

Rice noodles (or vermicelli noodles)

Onion

Bell pepper (raw-sliced)

Chinese marinade recipe:

2 slices ginger, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
2 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. sherry

Put all ingredients in a tightly closed container with your choice of chicken, beef, pork or seafood. Let marinate for 1 hour then drain meat and stir fry.

Half Moon Chicken recipe:

Marinate chicken for 1 hour.

In a skillet cook marinated chicken (without marinade) with a bit of sliced onion, bell pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until juices run clear with lid on. About 30 minutes depending on size; slicing the chicken helps to cook it quickly.

Add 1 cup soup base and packet of bonito to sauce pan, boil. Add cup of sliced button mushrooms and a tablespoon of soy sauce, then the noodles. Cover and simmer until noodles absorb all the liquid. Turn off and set aside to keep warm.

In another skillet saute sliced sweet potato and broccoli with a bit of course salt, set on paper to drain.

Quick fry wonton wrappers directly from the freezer, they should come apart cleanly. Drain on paper and sprinkle with salt.

Arrange bowl with noodles and mushrooms. Place wonton wrapper at back of bowl, arrange sweet potato and broccoli pieces in front of wrapper like a fan, then place chicken on top of noodles in front.

Enjoy!

Knock-off sushi--the bad kind

2010-06-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

Fish Posing as Other Fish? Not in This Restaurant

Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

Like other seafood experts, Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin was dismissive of a science project that found widespread sushi mislabeling.

By ALAN FEUER

Published: August 22, 2008

The news — to hit the metaphor perhaps a bit too hard — swam downstream through New York’s sushi bars on Friday afternoon: That spicy tuna roll you ate last night could — like a handbag from Canal Street — have been fake.

“Knock-off sushi — wow,” said Richie Notar, managing partner of the Nobu chain, with more than 20 restaurants around the world from Malibu to Melbourne. “Next thing you know, you’ll be able to buy it off some guy on a blanket on Fifth Avenue.”

**********************************

Now that's just scary. I'm not planning on buying anything without a head for a while. What about you?

Farmhouse Cooking: Country Corned Beef

2010-06-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Every time we go see my family in upstate I get the yearning to get the heck out of the city and get land. I want a proper farmhouse kitchen: big hearth, big oaken table, lovely old fashioned looking wood stove. Hey, a girl can dream can't she? It'd be lovely though; just lovely.

Country Corned Beef

4 to 5 lbs corned beef
5 bay leaves
4 peppersorns
2 sprigs parsley
1 branch celery, cut in chunks
1 small onion, sliced
Whole cloves
2 tblsp. butter or margarine
1 tblsp. prepared mustard
1/3 c.brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tablsp. vinegar
3 tablsp. water

Wash corned beef thoroughly to remove brine. Place in a large kettle and cover with cold water. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley, celery, and onion. Cover and simmer 3 to 3 3/4 hours, or until tender.
Remove hot beef to shallow baking dish. Insert whole cloves in it to decorate and season.

Melt butter, add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cook over medium heat until ingredients are well blended.

Pour sauce over corned beef and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve with homemade bread, and boiled cabbage, potatoes, and carrots.

A walk on the wild side: Blueberry Trifle

2010-06-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

We were picking low growing blueberries Sunday morning when my cousin startled a turkey hen and her chicks. It's an awe inspiring experience to see nature in all her glory. The dew laden grass bending underfoot, the little brown field mushrooms that popped up after mowing on Saturday, the ground hogs and white tailed does with their fawns nibbling grasses along the sides of the roads...I greatly enjoy being able to step outside and see the world as it was meant to be and not covered in car exhaust and litter.

Blueberry Trifle:

3 cups fresh blueberries, divided
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons sweet (cream) sherry (optional)
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
8 slices pound cake (half of a 10.75-ounce frozen cake)
1 package (2-3/4 ounces) vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
1-1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium-sized bowl, place 2-1/2 cups of the blueberries; stir in sugar and sherry; with a fork, mash about one-third of the blueberries. In another bowl, whip cream and confectioners sugar; set aside. Cut pound cake in 1-inch cubes. Prepare pudding as directed, using only 1-1/4 cups milk; place plastic wrap or waxed paper directly on pudding. Stir vanilla into cooled pudding; fold in half of the sweetened whipped cream. In eight parfait or wine glasses, or dessert bowls, arrange alternate layers of cake cubes, sugared blueberries and pudding, repeating twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; chill. Just before serving, top with remaining whipped cream and blueberries. Sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds and top with mint leaves, if desired.

YIELD: 8 portions

Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash

2010-06-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

I used an acorn squash here, but you can experiment with other types of squash if you like. And if aniseed and scallions aren't your thing, you might try do a version swapping in coconut milk and a bit of curry paste - and perhaps a cilantro drizzle?

Also, (important!) depending on the size of your squash you might have quite a bit of filling leftover - I ended up with double the amount I needed. That being said, I kept the original milk/egg ratio intact here. I poured my leftovers into a buttered ramekin and baked that alongside the squash for a nice, light corn-flecked pudding. Or alternately, you might use a second squash.

1 small (2 lb.) acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon clarified butter or olive oil
1 cup milk
1 egg plus 2 egg whites
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (or more if you like)
1/4 teaspoon anise seed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped scallions
a tiny pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees with a rack in the middle.

Rub the orange flesh of the squash with the butter/oil. Place cut side up on a baking sheet. You will want it to sit flat (and not tip), if you are having trouble just level out the bottom using a knife. If the squash is tilting on the pan, the filling will run out - bad news. Cover the squash with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until the squash starts to get tender.

In a bowl combine the milk, eggs, corn, anise seed, half of the scallions, nutmeg, and salt. Fill each of the squash bowls 3/4 full. Carefully transfer the squash back to the oven without spilling (try setting each in a mini tart pan to keep them from spilling).

Continue baking uncovered for another 30 - 50 minutes, or until the squash is fully cooked through, and the pudding has set. The amount of time it takes can vary wildly depending on the squash and oven. At the last minute sprinkle with cheese and finish with a flash under the broiler to brown the cheese. Keep and eye on things, you can go from melted cheese to burnt and inedible in a flash. Serve hot sprinkled with the remaining scallions.

Serves 4 - 6.

(100cookbooks.com)

An Orange a Day...Orange and Oat Scones

2010-06-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

This version of the recipe makes 8-10 huge scones. The next time I make these I'll likely pat the dough into two 4-inch rounds and cut each of those into 6-8 smaller scones before baking.

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups rolled oats
zest of 1 orange
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup coarse turbinado or Demerara sugar, for sprinkling
2/3 cup dried currants

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse 15-20 times or until it looks like sandy pearls. (If you are working by hand, cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter.) Transfer the dough to a bowl and stir in the oats and zest. Stir in the buttermilk and currants until just moistened.

Bring the dough together with your hands. If the dough is still too crumbly, stir in more buttermilk a tiny splash at a time, but try to avoid over mixing. After bringing the dough together, gently pat it into an 8-inch round. Cut into triangle shapes (see photo) and transfer to the prepared baking sheet with some room between each scone. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minute or until the bottoms are deeply golden.

Makes 8 extra-large scones, or 12 to 16 larger ones.

* This recipe was adapted from My Nepenthe by Romney Steele. (100cookbooks.com)

Jamaican Veggie Patties

2010-06-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

You can certainly experiment with different sizes here, but don't go much smaller than a 4-inch cookie cutter. Any smaller and they tend to come apart at the seams - a bit like gaping mouths (see lead photo). Also, be sure to roll the pastry dough thinly - a true 1/8-inch. And lastIy, I can't resist brushing the patties with a bit of beaten egg before placing them in the oven - it makes the crust nice and golden, but also takes them out of the vegan category.

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup 1/4-inch-diced yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Coarse sea salt
2 larges cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup 1/4-inch-diced carrots
1/4 cup 1/4-inch-diced yellow potatoes
1/2 cup fresh green peas (or frozen)
1/2 cup sweet fresh corn (or frozen)
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Pastry:

1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup chilled coconut oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

In a medium-size saute pan over medium-low heat, combine the coconut oil, the onion cinnamon, allspice, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are caramelized.

Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, carrots, and potatoes, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the green peas, corn, cabbage, thyme, and lemon juice, cover, and cook for 3 minutes more. Season with additional salt and the white pepper (or to taste) and set aside to allow the flavors to marry.

For the pastry:

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the white flour with the pastry flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Set the remaining 1/4 cup white flour aside. Add the coconut butter to the flour mixture and rub with your fingertip until the mixture resembles fine sand, about 10 minutes (hs note: I've also make this dough by pulsing ingredients in a food processor with good results).

Combine the vinegar and water and mix well. Then, without overworking the dough, add the vinegar mixture by the tablespoon, while stirring, just until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and begins to coalesce. Squeeze into a tight ball, flatten, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F and remove the dough from the refrigerator.

With the reserved flour, lightly dust a clean surface, roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut six 6-inch circles from the dough (you can use a bowl). Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling onto the center of one side of each circle, leaving about a 1/8-inch border. Fold the other half over to make a half-moon, press to seal, and make ridges around the edge using a fork. (hs note: if your dough is at all on the dry side you may need to run wet fingers around the edge of the circles to help get a good seal).

Transfer the patties to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately with some hot sauce.

Makes six big patties, or a couple dozen smaller ones.

*From Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant Terry.

Grilled Personal Pizzas

2010-06-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

Basic Pizza Dough Recipe:

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.

2 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Prep:

1. Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface.
2. Knead dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down dough.
4. Roll out dough according to recipe instructions. (Start in center of dough, working outward toward edges but not rolling over them.)

*DO AHEAD*

Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

***************************

White Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe

4 1/2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, ice cold
a few tablespoons chopped herbs (optional)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer. By hand stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed. Add the herbs. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl (to me it looks like a tornado). Add a touch of water or flour to reach the desired effect. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky.

Transfer the dough to a floured countertop. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces and mold each into a ball. Rub each ball with olive oil and slip into plastic sandwich bags. Refrigerator overnight.

When you are ready to make pizza (anytime in the next few days), remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before making the pizza. Keep them covered so they don't dry out.

At the same time place a baking stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (you can go hotter, but I like the results I get at 450). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal and get ready to shape your pizza dough. Uncover or unwrap the dough balls and dust them with flour. Working one at a time, gently press a dough round into a disk wide enough that you can bring it up onto your knuckles to thin out - you should be able to pull each round out to 12-inches or so. If the dough is being fussy and keeps springing back, let it rest for another 15-20 minutes. Place the pulled-out dough on the prepared sheet pan, and jerk the pan to make sure the dough will move around on the cornmeal ball-bearings (you don't want it to stick to the pan).

Add your toppings (less is more!) and slide the topped pizza onto the baking stone. Bake until the crust is crisp and nicely colored. Remove from the oven. I always finish with more freshly grate parmesan and a small drizzle of good quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Makes six 6-ounce pizza crusts.

***************************

*Sample Pizza*

Sautéed shrimp with pesto and tomato

This is the Grand Champion grilled pizza that won top honors at The International Pizza Competition in LasVegas. The Gamberian, grilled pizza with seared jumbo shrimp, basil pecan pesto, sundried and fresh tomatoes, red onion and garlic proves to be the benchmark of all my pizzas.

Ingredients:

1 grilled pizza crust
2 tablespoons Herbed Grill Oil
or extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
½ pound (225g) jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce
½ cup Basil Pecan Pesto
¼ cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup thinly sliced red onions
2 teaspoons capers
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Garnish:

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Note: Buy sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil if possible, because they are easier to cut.

Prep:

1. Brush the grilled side of the pizza crust with 1 tablespoon of the Herbed Grill Oil. Dust with the Parmesan.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the shrimp until opaque and pink, about 1½ minutes. Don’t worry if they seem undercooked; they will cook more when you grill the pizza. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
3. Top the pizza crust with the mozzarella. Spoon the Chunky Tomato Basil Sauce and the Basil Pecan Pesto on top, creating an alternating pattern of red and green. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, shrimp, red onions, capers, and garlic.
4. Just...Grill. Garnish with the fresh basil and cracked black pepper before serving.

Argentine Grilled Steaks

2010-06-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Recipe and tips from CooksIllustrated.com

Grilled steak with Chimichurri sauce:

Sauce:

1/4 c hot water
2 ts dried oregano
2 ts kosher salt
1 and 1/3 c loosley packed flat-leaf parsley
2/3 c loosely packed cilantro leaves
6 med galric cloves, minced or pressed (~2tbs)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine hot water, oregano, and salt in small bowl; let stand 5 min to soften oregano.
2. Pulse parsley, cilantro, garlic, and red pepper flakes in food processor until coarsely chopped, ~ 10 sec.
3. Add water mixture and vinegar and pulse and pulse briefly to combine.

Steak:

1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp kosher salt
4 boneless strip steaks (1.5 in thick)
4 (2in) unsoaked wood chunks
Ground Black Pepper

1. Combine cornstarch and salt in a small bowl. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Rub entire surface with mixture and place steaks, uncovered, in freezer until very firm, about 30 mins.
2. Turn burners to high and heat with lid down until very hot, about 15 minutes. Place wood chunks in perforated disposable 9 in aluminum pie plate and set on cooking grate. Close lid and heat until wood starts to smoke, about 5 minutes. Scrape clean with grill brush. (leave wood to the side when cooking steaks.
3. Season steaks with salt and pepper. place steaks on grill. cover, and cook until they begin to char, 2 - 3 minutes. Uncover grill, flip steaks, and cook on second side until they begin to char again, 2 -3 minutes. Flip one last time and continue to cook until second side is well charred and inside reads 115 - 120F (~4 minutes).
4. Transfer to plate and let rest, loosely tented with tinfoil, for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with sauce.

Tips for Smoky Goodness:

1. Rubbing the steaks with cornstarch and salt seasons the meat and expedites crust formation by drying the meat's exterior; cornstarch also enhances browning.

2. Freeze briefly; the freezer's cold, dry air drives off exterior moisture and chills the steaks' interiors so they can stay on the grill longer, soaking up more smoke flavor.

3. Four large chunks of unsoaked wood add to a single-level fire infused with wood-grilled flavor.

Welcome to summer: Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

2010-06-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

Feel free to experiment with the amount of sugar in this based on how sweet your berries are. For example, try it with 1/2 cup sugar tossed with the fruit, and make note - you might want it more/less sweet the next time around.

butter for greasing skillet/pan (about 1 tablespoon)
3/4 cup / 3 oz / 85 g spelt flour
2/3 cup / 3 oz / 85 pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup / 1.5 oz / 45 g rolled oats
1/2 cup / 2 oz / 60 g natural cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup / 2.5 oz / 75 g unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup / 2 oz / 60 g natural cane sugar (or Muscovado sugar)
1/2 lb. / 8 ounces / 225 g hulled medium strawberries, cut into quarters
12 ounces trimmed rhubarb, sliced into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup / 60 ml port wine (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375F / 190C, with a rack in the middle. Butter a 10-inch round gratin dish (pictured), or a 9x9 square baking dish.

Combine the flour, pine nuts, oats, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Use a fork to stir in the butter, squeeze into a few patties, then place in the freezer to chill at least ten minutes.

Make the filling by whisking together the cornstarch and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the strawberries and rhubarb, and toss until evenly coated. Wait three minutes, add the port and toss again. Transfer the filling to the prepared pan, remove the topping from the freezer, and crumble across the top of the filling - make sure you have big pieces and small.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the topping is deeply golden and the fruit juices are vigorously bubbling. You'll want to let things cool a bit before serving, 20 - 30 minutes.

Serves a small crowd, 8 - 12 servings.

from: 100cookbooks.com

Keeping up wth the Jones'

2010-06-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Well, as I haven't actually cooked anything inspired the last few nights, I dug about in the pantry and made Herb-Dijon Mustard Crusted Pork Spare Ribs with Shimeji and Farro for dinner last night.

Crust:

2-4 tbs cracked dijon mustard (enough to coat meat)
2-4 tbs panko breading
1 tsp of herbs de Provence

Mix.

Meat:

Wash and dry the pork ribs. Coat with a little (1 tsb) of cornstarch to dry out the meat.
Place in ovenproof cooking pan meat side down and spread crust mixture over top of meat.
Add 1/2 c blush or dry white wine and handful of trimmed shimeji or white mushrooms.
Cook at 350 for an hour or until juices run clear.

Farro:

1 cup farro to 3 cups boiling salted water, covered for 40 mins. Check water and farro tenderness after 30 mins. Also watch that it doesn't overflow.

The Amazing Farro

2010-06-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I discovered farro; looking and tasting like a wild rice/barley cross I found that it serves either purpose wonderfully. It takes more water than regular rice, so watch it on the stove top, but the efforts are more than worth it. Here are two great recipes that incorporate this versitile grain.

***

Farro & Herbs Recipe

If you don't have farro, you can certainly substitute cooked wheat berries, or (pearled) barley here. Also, if you don't have creme fraiche, feel free to substitute a mixture of equal parts sour cream and cream.

2 cups / 13 oz / 370 g uncooked semi-pearled farro
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
5 cups water
1/3 cup creme fraiche (see head note)
2 teaspoons freshly squeeze lemon juice (plus zest)
2 teaspoons good-quality white wine vinegar
2 bunches / 1 oz fresh chives, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
scant teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
more salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 oz / 170g (good) mozzarella or bocconcini, cut or torn into chunks

Place the uncooked farro in a saucepan along with the salt and water. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat a bit, then simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the grains are cooked through, but not mushy. You can certainly use whole farro here if you like, you'll just need to cook it longer, more like 50 minutes. You'll likely have some extra liquid in the farro pot, drain the farro, but reserve the cooking liquid. In the end, you'll have about 4 cups of cooked farro. Let it cool a bit, but keep in mind, this is a dish you can serve warm or at room temperature.

In a large bowl combine the cooked farro with the creme fraiche. Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of the (still warm) reserved cooking liquid to thin things out a bit, then stir in the lemon juice, zest, and vinegar. Stir in the herbs and mix well. Taste and salt and pepper to your liking at this point. Lastly add the mozzarella and gently toss one last time before serving warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8.

***

Farro and Roasted Butternut Squash

If you are pressed for time, opt for a lightly or semi-pearled farro (actually easier to find in some places), which will cut the cooking time for the grains down to about 20 minutes. Barley, both hulled and pearled, would make a nice substitution if you are having trouble finding farro. Also, I found the beautiful red spring onions at the farmers' market but regular red onions will work well, and will be much easier to find.

2 cups farro, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt

5 cups water (or stock)

3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 large red onion cut into 1/8ths

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 cup walnuts, deeply toasted
3 tablespoons toasted walnut oil (or more olive oil)

1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the farro, salt, and water in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the farro is tender, 45 minutes to an hour, or about half the time if you are using semi-pearled farro. Taste often as it is cooking, you want it to be toothsome and retain structure. Remove from heat, drain any excess water, and set aside.

While the farro is cooking toss the squash, onion, and thyme with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a couple big pinches of salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer and place in the oven for about 20 minutes. Toss the squash and onions every 5-7 minutes to get browning on multiple sides. Remove from the oven, let cool a bit, and mince just 1/2 of the red onions.

In a large bowl gently toss the everything (except the goat cheese) with the toasted walnut oil (or olive oil). Taste and add a bit of salt if necessary. Serve family-style in a simple bowl or on a platter garnished with the goat cheese.

Serves 6 - 8 as a side, less as a main.

*For a recipe like this I'll take a medium butternut squash, lob off the little stem end so it is flat, cut off the entire neck - so, now I am dealing with a cylinder shape. I stand that on end and run a knife top to bottom to peel it. Then I cut the 1/2-inch disks - it's easy to cube from there. With the big bulb part, I'll just halve it, clear out the seeds, drizzle some oil and a sprinkle some salt, roast, and use that as the basis for a simple soup. No waste, minimal fuss, all ten fingers intact in the end. If you are dealing with a particularly long "neck" try cutting it into two cylindrical shaped pieces.

From: 101cookbooks.com

Banana Raisin Oatmeal Muffins

2010-05-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe. I took the standard Good Housekeeping Banana Bread recipe and edited the heck out of it to work with what we had on hand this morning.

Original:

1 and 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup stick margarine or butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Edited:

1 and 1/4 cup cane sugar
1 (2.5 oz) container of baby food pureed prunes instead of butter
2 large eggs
1 mashed banana
1 lunchbox sized box of raisins
1 small handful of instant rolled oats
1/2 cup mixed heavy cream and goats' whey from cheese making
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Mix first two ingredients and then add in eggs, stir until blended. Add next 5 items, blend until smooth. Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time. Add soda and salt untiljust mixed and drop by spoonfuls into muffin baking tins.

Cook for 25 mins at 350F.

A Bit of French Farmhouse Cooking

2010-05-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Made this for our Sunday Roast night. Came out absolutely delectable. Chevre gave me a few problems until I up-ed the quantity of vinegar a bit.

VEAL RIB ROAST

2-3 lb roast rinsed and patted dry
Sprinkle with Herbs d'Providence and tie with a sprig of rosemary.
Dot with butter, place in pan with sliced onion, carrot, and celery.
Add 1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth and 1 cup white or blush wine.
Cook at 350 for 4 hours.

WEHANI RICE

1 cup rice to 2 cups boiling salted water
Cook for 45 minutes.

HUSH PUPPIES
makes 20 hush puppies

3/4 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. sugar
half of a small onion - minced (about 1/4 c. or less)
1/3 c. milk
1 egg, beaten

Combine the dry ingredients - cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar - in a medium-sized bowl. Next, combine the wet ingredients - onion, milk, and egg- in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir until mixed. Heat the shortening in a deep fryer to 375 degrees or in a pot on the stove to medium heat. To test, a drop of water should crackle and spit when dropped in the oil.

Drop by spoonfuls into the hot grease. If you add too many at a time, your grease will cool and you’ll get soggy hush puppies. Instead, take your time and slowly add one plop at a time until the fryer is full. Turn them after a couple of minutes and take them out when they are golden brown. Drain on a wire rack placed over a paper towel.

CHEVRE

Ingredients:

1 gallon 2% milk (Goat's)
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt

1. Heat the milk to 190F. You will need a thermometer for other cheeses but you can get by here turning off the heat just before the milk begins to boil.

2. Add the vinegar and allow the mixture to cool.

3. When cool, pour the mixture, (which now consists of curds and whey as in Miss Muffet food) into a colander and drain off the whey.

4. Pour the curds into a bowl and sprinkle on the salt and mix well. You may wish to use less salt or more. It is simply a matter of taste which is the next step. You can add a little cream for a silky texture.

APPLE-OATMEAL COFFEE CAKE

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup butter softened or 1/2 cup unsweetened fruit puree *I used prunes*
1 cup buttermilk
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1-1/2 cups chopped apples

Topping:

2 tablespoons firm butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup quick cooking oats

Directions:

Heat oven to 350.
Grease bottom and sides of square pan with shortening.
Combine all topping ingredients and set aside.
Beat remaining ingredients except apples in large bowl with mixer on low speed 30 seconds.
Beat on medium speed 2 minutes scraping bowl occasionally then stir in apples.
Spread batter in pan then sprinkle with topping and bake 50 minutes.
Cool on wire rack or serve warm.

Pork Lechon (Filipino version)

2010-05-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

Lechon

1/2 cup Kosher/sea salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
6 Bay Leaves
4 Tablespoons Fresh Black pepper
1/2 cup cane vinegar
2-3 gallons of water

Preparation:

In a large pot put 1 gallon of water, salt, sugar, pepper, Bay leaves, and vinegar. Heat over low heat until sugar and salt dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature. Place pork with skin in a large pot, pour in marinade and add water until pork is covered, cover with foil and put in ice box overnight.

Cooking:

The following day place pork and a small amount of the marinade in oven proof roasting pan at 200F and slow roast 10 hours (fat side up), basting periodically and rotating meat. Cover the meat if the skin gets too brown. The last 10 minutes move under broiler with the lid off until the skin gets crispy.

Plating:

Pull the pork off the bone and rough chop in the pan, allowing the marinade to soak into it. Serve with white rice on banana leaves.

I made this for the same office party as Aki's Mochi Cake (our International Food Day) and got rave reviews. It takes a long time to cook, but is completely worth the effort!

Aki's Mochi Cake!

2010-05-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

Red Bean Mochi Cake
prep time 10 | minutes bake time 40 min | makes 2 loafs

Prep Needs

Mochi powder 230g
BP half of spoon
Egg 2
Sugar 65g
Milk 240cc
Vegetable oil 4 of spoon
red bean paste

Cooking

1. Add suger into egg, then mix them
2. add milk, oil, powder and BP in order, then mix them
3. add red bean paste, then set them into the pan with oil
4. bake them with 350F for 40 minutes
5. let them cool then cut them.

Mochi cake (or "nian gao" 年糕 as it is called in mandarin) is a classic dessert that is especially popular during Chinese New Year. The term "nian gao" sort of has a double (or even quadruple) meaning in Chinese. In Chinese, the pronunciation "nian" sounds like the word for year (年)and sticky (粘). The word "gao" sound like the word for cake (糕) but also sounds like tall or high (高).

The above recipe is from a co-workers wife who made this for a recent office party (International Food Day). I can't tell you how many I ate by myself!

Miso Glazed Salmon, Chinese Asparagus Beans, and Coconut Jasmine Rice

2010-04-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Made this tonight to give our systems a bit of an MSG break.

Coconut Jasmine Rice:
(20 min)

1 can coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cups jasmine rice

Mix, cook over medium heat with lid partially off for the time.

Miso Glaze:

2 tbs white miso paste
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tbs Japanese soup base or soy sauce and water mixture

Mix, pour over salmon, let sit 5 minutes.

Grill or sautee both sides in pan over low heat, flipping half way through.

Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Chinese Asparagus Beans:

Like green beans only much, much longer. Rinse, trim edges and add to pan with butter, salt and pepper. cook for a few minutes over low heat and flip until done, about 5 minutes.

Plate all pretty like in a birds nest of the beans with the rice in the center and then place the salmon on top. Pour a bit of the glaze on top, serve with Japanese pickles and enjoy!

Restaurant review: Court Square Diner

2010-04-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

We hit a snag on a the subway last week, ended up in Brooklyn when trying to get to Queens. Oops.

Had a really awesome Fisherman's Platter and salad and hot wings at the Court Square Diner. Cool Place, awesome food, massive dessert selection and open 24/7! Located in Long Island City.

$28 for everything.

Challenge Week: World War 2 Rations - Day 7 - Freedom!

2010-04-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Yes! End of the week, and a renewal of our massively depleted resources. I can understand quite well why ration books were hated and the newspaper read religiously. To celebrate being able to go to the grocery again we made this French adaptation of a squash and lentil soup.

Kabocha French Lentil Soup

I buy acorn squash it is really nice in this soup. I doubled this recipe. But still used just 1/2 cup water when roasting the squash.

1 kabocha or other dark orange winter squash, 1 1/2 lb. / 24 ounces / 680 g
1/2 cup / 120 ml water
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt
1 cup / 7 oz / 200 g green lentils, rinsed
5 coins ginger, 1/8-inch thick
1 whole star anise
6 cups / 1.5 liters water
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup / 60 ml olive oil
1 yellow onion, medium dice
1 leek, sliced into 1/4 moons
1 fennel bulb, medium dice

red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425F/ 220C with a rack in the top third of the oven. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Oil and salt the squash and roast cut side down (in a rimmed baking pan) with the 1/2 cup / 120 ml of water poured into the pan. Roast until tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. When cool enough, scoop out cooked squash and set aside.

In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, ginger, star anise and water. Simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt.

In a large stockpot combine the olive oil, onion, leeks, fennel and additional salt. Cook covered over low heat until vegetables soften, about 7 - 10 minutes.

Remove the star anise and ginger coins from the lentil sauce pan, then add the lentils, lentil broth and squash to the vegetables in the stock pot. Stir well and cook for another 15 minutes or so, allowing the flavors to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning here with more salt if needed, and in my case I used a few generous pinches of red pepper flakes as well.

Serve as is, or topped with lots of garlicky homemade croutons.*

Serves 4 - 6.

*For the croutons I simply ripped up the remainder of a day-old loaf of bread into tiny shreds, doused it in olive oil, garlic, and a bit of salt, and toasted it in the oven until golden and crunchy - I think the oven was set to 375 at the time.

Challenge Week: World War 2 Rations - Day 6

2010-04-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

Breakfast, Day 6

Buttered Grits

Lunch, Day 6

Rotini with Bacon (from the Ikea 365 Recipes cookbook)

Serves 2:

1. Finely diced leek. Cut 1 rasher bacon diced and cooked in a pan in a bit of bacon fat until golden brown. Sprinkle with a pinch of smoked or sweet paprika to taste (we used smoked).

2. Add 10 oz drained sauerkraut, 1 tbs sugar, and 1tbs vinegar to the pan. Cook for 8 minutes.

3. In a second pan, heat 2 tbs butter until foaming and stir in pasta. Sprinkle 1 tbs of minced parsley.

4. Mix together the pasta and the sauerkraut mixture and serve with sour cream.

Dinner, Day 6

Linguine with Asparagus
(from the Ikea 365 Recipes Cookbook)

Serves 2:

1. Drain 2 tsb green peppercorns (from a jar) and mince finely. Mince 1 clove of garlic. Beat 1/2 cup butter at room temperature with a hand mixer until creamy, add 1 tbsp lemon juice, add the green pepper and garlic, and season with salt. Divide the butter into strips on Saran wrap, wrap up tightly, and leave in the refrigerator for an hour.

2. Wash 18 oz of green asparagus, peel the bottom third and cut off the woody ends. Cut the stems diagonally into pieces 1.5-2 in long. Strip the leaves of 1/2 bunch chervil and mince coarsely.

3. Cook the linguine. Melt butter in a pan and add the asparagus and chervil and fry for 4-6 minutes over high heat. Drain the pasta, mix in the asparagus and herbs, season with salt and lemon juice according to taste.

Challenge Week: World War 2 Rations - Day 5

2010-04-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Breakfast, Day 5

Glass of milk

Lunch, Day 5

Left over potatoes and Air-Raid Soup.

Dinner, Day 5

Vegetable Barley Soup

Minus the tomatoes and add in green beans.

Challenge Week: World War 2 Rations - Day 4

2010-04-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

Breakfast, Day 4

For breakfast we had our weekly ration of 1 egg and 1/2 a rasher of bacon with biscuits.

Lunch, Day 4

We had left over soup with biscuits for lunch.

Dinner, Day 4

For dinner with had spinach salad with sliced beef and honey-mustard sauce and the left-over potatoes. I think the key is we are only worrying about two adults who can easily skip a meal and not have it effect them, verses a family.

We also made a Fruit Pudding for dessert.

Mix 8 oz of flour with 4 teaspoons baking powder and a pinch of salt, rub in 2 oz fat. Add 2-3 oz of diced dried fruit (we used apricots), 2 oz sugar, 1 egg and enough milk to make a stiff dough.

Add to greased pudding mold and steam for 2.5 hours. We used a bit of warmed golden syrup to sweeten it.

Verdict:

From a modern perspective though, we are finding the food a bit bland. An example would be the potatoes, we found they needed a sauce (HP, A1, Old Bay) of some sort to bring them up to modern tastes, though they would have been fine by 1940s standards. Another piece of information to note is that we have been going under the concept of utilizing what we had in our possession and nothing more, while using the rations and recipes as guidelines. We did not empty our pantry and start from scratch because most families would have had something saved or stored in their pantries before the war started. As it is, we have been noticing that the lack of meat does not bother us as long as there are plenty of fresh vegetables and starches, like the mushrooms and barley. As we go into the later half of our week, I notice my options shying towards the soup and bread section more often, and am leery as to what we will be cooking this week with our meat allotment gone. No eggs, no meat, and only 1/2 a rasher of bacon a piece left. We'll see what I come up with.

Challenge Week: World War 2 Rations - Day 3

2010-04-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

We had biscuits with apple butter for Breakfast and skipped Lunch.

Dinner, Day 3

Vegetable and barley soup, biscuits, and scalloped potatoes with leeks, beef and brie.

Vegetable Barley Soup:

Air-Raid Soup (original):

1 carrot
1 leek
1 stick celery
1 oz hot drippings
2 pints vegetable or chicken broth
2 oz pearl parley

(my additions):

2 heads boc choi
4 diced slices of bell pepper
1/4 head shemeji mushrooms
1 tomato
2 small bay leaves
1 tsp herbs de provenance
4 dried basil leaves

Sweat the leeks, celery, and drippings, then add carrots, mushrooms, tomato, and seasonings. Add liquid and barley and cook for at least an hour. Add boc choi last 20 minutes.

Scalloped potatoes and leeks with beef and brie:

2 lbs thick sliced potatoes
1/2 lb leeks
5 thin slices of roast beef
6 tabs brie

seasoning flour:
1 tbl flour
1 tsp salt and pepper

Layer potatoes and leeks, sprinkle with flour, add thinly sliced beef from roast night. Continue until last layer is just potatoes. Spread tabs of brie across surface.

Scald 3 teacups of milk and add to potatoes. Cover and bake at 350 F for 2 hours, remove lid last 30 minutes.

Challenge Week: World War 2 Rations - Day 2

2010-04-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

The WW2 Victory Garden was the main 'grocery' for most families and communities in the 1940s. It was a great way to support the family and the community, while saving ration points for expensive luxuries like sugar. Personally, I think as long as flour and milk were not affected, I could survive on bread and butter/cheese for a long time. :)

Earthly Pursuits is a fabulous site that has most of a Victory Garden Pamphlet from the 40s available online.

***********

Breakfast, Day 2

Left over biscuit from dinner with a thin spread of rhubarb apple butter.

Lunch, Day 2

1/2 baked potato with sliced green onion and thin dab of butter.

Dinner, Day 2

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
8 ounces young spinach
1 large eggs
2 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large white mushrooms, sliced
3 ounces red onion (1 small), very thinly sliced

Remove the stems from the spinach and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly. Place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the egg into an electric kettle and cover with cold water by at least 1-inch. Turn the kettle on. Once the water comes to a boil, the kettle will turn itself off. Leave the egg in the water for 15 minutes. Remove and peel off the shell. Slice egg into 8 pieces and set aside.

While the eggs are cooking, fry the bacon and remove to a paper towel to drain, reserving 1 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Transfer the fat to a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.

Add the mushrooms and the sliced onion to the spinach and toss. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Divide the spinach between 4 plates or bowls and evenly divide the egg among them. Season with pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.

**********

Challenge Week: World War 2 Rations - Day 1

2010-04-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Some victory gardeners proudly displaying their vegetables. 1942 or 1943.
Library of Congress Digital Photography Collection.

Challenge Week: World War 2 Rations

This week’s challenge is an interesting one for us: take what produce was available in World War 2 Britain, in the portions that rations were given and make meals for a modern palette. Some of our ingredients are different; I won’t be using powdered milk or eggs because I haven’t been able to find them in my local neighborhood. I’m going with the concept that most Londoners actually pitched in and had some form of Victory Garden producing some of their own foods while the rest were locally grown as much as possible.

Some popular fruit and vegetable varieties in 1940s Britain included:

Kentucky Wonder Bean, Hollow Crown Parsnip, Scarlet Runner Beans, Little Marvel Pea, Crosby Egyptian Beet, Long Red Cayenne Pepper, Detroit Dark Red Beet, Connecticut Field Pumpkin, Early Wonder Beets, Early Scarlet Radish, Copenhagen Market Cabbage, White Icicle Radish, Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage, Salsify, Mammoth Sandwich Island, Golden Acre Cabbage, Early Prolific Straightneck Squash, Danvers Carrot, Table Queen Squash, Chantenay Red Cored Carrot, Fordhook Swiss Chard, Georgia Collards, Lucullus Swiss Chard, Golden Bantam Sweet Corn, Earliana Tomato, Straight Eight Cucumber, Marglobe Tomato, Black Beauty Eggplant, Rutgers Tomato, Dwarf Blue Curled Kale, Purple Top White Globe Turnip, Early White Vienna Kohl Rabi, Kleckley's Sweet Watermelon, Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, and Tom Watson Watermelon.

We’re using green beans, bell peppers, mushrooms, parsnips, carrots, spinach, pac choi, celery, potatoes, onions and tomatoes for our recipes as well as any canned vegetables and lentils/barley we have on hand.

****

Typical examples of the amounts allowed to each person were:

Food rations

Item	Maximum level	Minimum level	Rations (April '45)
Bacon and Ham	8 oz (227 g)	4 oz (113 g)	4 oz (113 g)
Sugar	16 oz (454 g)	8 oz (227 g)	8 oz (227 g)
Loose Tea	4 oz (113 g)	2 oz (57 g)	2 oz (57 g)
Meat	1 s. 2d.	1s	1s. 2d.
Cheese	8 oz (227 g)	1 oz (28 g)	2 oz (57 g) Vegetarians were allowed an extra 3 oz (85 g) cheese
Preserves	1 lb (0.45 kg) per month 2 lb (0.91 kg) marmalade	8 oz (227 g) per month	2 lb (0.91 kg) marmalade or 1 lb (0.45 kg) preserve or 1 lb (0.45 kg) sugar
Butter	8 oz (227 g)	2 oz (57 g)	2 oz (57 g)
Margarine	12 oz (340 g)	4 oz (113 g)	4 oz (113 g)
Lard	3 oz (85 g)	2 oz (57 g)	2 oz (57 g)
Sweets	16 oz (454 g) per month	8 oz (227 g) per month	12 oz (340 g) per month

Notes:
1. Tea bags were not used widely in the UK.
2. 1s 2d bought about 1 lb 3 oz (540 g)) of meat. Offal and sausages were only rationed from 1942-1944. Even when sausages were not rationed, the meat needed to make them was so scarce that they were very rarely seen.

Eggs were rationed and "allocated to ordinary consumers as available"; in 1944 thirty allocations of one egg each were made. Children and some invalids were allowed three a week; expectant mothers two on each allocation.

1 egg per week or 1 packet (makes 12 "eggs") of egg powder per month (vegetarians were allowed two eggs)
plus, 24 “points” for four weeks for tinned and dried food.

Arrangements were made for vegetarians so that their rations of meat were substituted by other goods.

Milk was supplied at 3 imp pt (1.7 l) each week week for priority to expectant mothers and children under 5; 3.5 imp pt (2.0 l) for those under 18; children unable to attend school 5 imp pt (2.8 l), certain invalids up to 14 imp pt (8.0 l). Each consumer got one tin of milk powder (equal to 8 imperial pints (4.5 l; 9.6 US pt)) every 8 weeks.

Bread, soap, bananas, and potatoes were rationed during this period. In 1951 people could still buy only 10d. (4p) worth of meat each week.

Two new commodities were rationed after the war. Bread was rationed from 1946 to 1948 and potatoes for a year from 1947. The points system ended in 1950.

Rationing continued in this country for 14 years until 1954, when meat was finally de-rationed.

Found here and here.

****

So let’s get started.

Dinner, Day 1

We started with our Sunday Roast recipe with vegetables, baked potatoes (jackets), biscuits, thick gravy, mixed Asian vegetable soup, and Italian spinach salad, we finished off with Vanilla bean and Pumpkin spiced pudding.

Salad and Soup:

Washed and dried the spinach, added sun dried tomatoes, canned eggplants and a single canned dolmades. Add Italian seasoning to balsamic vinegar and oil, mix, and serve.

Mix 1 tbs tamarind paste with 1 tbs miso and water, add ½ cup asian soup base.
Add sliced Asian greens (Bok or Pac Choi, diakon, cabbage, mung beans, and leaks). Add tofu and cook until vegetables are tender.

Potatoes:

Par boil then roll in roast fat and salt, bake in back of oven with roast (last 15min of roast),

Biscuits:

2 ¼ cup Bisquick mix (available starting in 1931; One cup of Bisquick can be substituted by a mix of the following ingredients: 1 c flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp oil or melted butter)
2/3 cup soup milk (milk that had started to ‘go’)

Mix, drop onto ungreased cookie sheet (or muffin tin like we did) and bake 9 minutes.

Roast:

Place 1 tbs fat in a pan, sprinkle meat with seasonings (we used herbs de province), and add chopped roast vegetables (carrots, celery and onions). Roast at 350F for 30 minutes, add mushrooms and 1 cup water + 1 tbs HP sauce to pan. Cook 30 minutes more.

Thick Gravy:

1 tbs hot drippings to 2 tbs flour (we used 2 tbs drippings and 4 tbs flour), smooth over low heat. Take off heat and add 1 cup broth, mix until smooth. Place back on heat and cook 1 more minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Dessert (Vanilla bean and Pumpkin spiced pudding):

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Argo® or Kingsford’s® Corn Starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice

Combine sugar, corn starch and salt in medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Add egg yolks.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and boil 1 minute. Stir in vanilla.

Pour in a serving bowl OR pour equal amounts into 4 individual serving bowls. Cover and chill a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.

Verdict?

We actually had too much food. Doing it again, I'd only allocate half or a third of a baked potato per person and skip the dessert, which is what we did. Don't worry, pudding keeps. :)

Challenge: Food Rationing WW2 - Overview

2010-04-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Before things get this bad again and they start handing out ration books, take the initiative and grow your own at least a bit. We decided while watching a WW2 documentary, that it might be interesting to see what eating under rations was like. We used recipes from the London Times during the beginning of the war and cooked for a week eating what the Brits ate.

Here are some examples of what the food situation was like per person per week:

Bacon and Ham 2 oz. (57 gm) per person a fortnight
Cheese 1½ oz. (43 gm) a week
Butter/margarine 7 oz. (198 gm) a week
Cooking fats 2 oz. (57 gm) a week
Meat 1s. (5p) worth a week
Sugar 8 oz. (227 gm) a week
Tea 2 oz. (57 gm) a week
Chocolates and sweets 4 oz. (113 gm) a week
Eggs No fixed ration: 1 egg for each ration book when available
Liquid milk 3 pints a week
Preserves 4 oz. (113 gm) a week

Points-rationed Foods 4 points per week

Typical examples of the amounts allowed to each person were:

Meat - between 1s. (5p) and 2s. (10p) a head a week [1 lb 3 oz (540 g)]
Bacon - 4 oz. (113 gm) to 8 oz. (227 gm) a week
Tea - 2 oz. (57 gm) to 4 oz. (113 gm) a week
Cheese — 1 oz. (28 gm) to 8 oz. (227 gm) a week
Sugar - 8 oz. (227 gm) a week.

Weights and measurements:

16oz (ounces) = 1 lb (pound)
14 lb = 1 stone
20 fl oz (fluid ounces) = 1 pt (pint)
1 oz = 28.35 g 1 lb = 453 g
1 fl oz = 28.4 ml 1 pt = 568 ml

Money:

12d (penny) = 1s (shilling)
20s (shilling) = 1 l (pound)
1 s = 5p

Notes:
Tea bags were not used widely in the UK.

1s 2d bought about 1 lb 3 oz (540 g)) of meat. Offal and sausages were only rationed from 1942-1944. Even when sausages were not rationed, the meat needed to make them was so scarce that they were very rarely seen.

Eggs were rationed and "allocated to ordinary consumers as available"; in 1944 thirty allocations of one egg each were made. Children and some invalids were allowed three a week; expectant mothers two on each allocation.

1 egg per week or 1 packet (makes 12 "eggs") of egg powder per month (vegetarians were allowed two eggs) plus, 24 “points” for four weeks for tinned and dried food.

Arrangements were made for vegetarians so that their rations of meat were substituted by other goods.

Milk was supplied at 3 imp pt (1.7 l) each week for priority to expectant mothers and children under 5; 3.5 imp pt (2.0 l) for those under 18; children unable to attend school 5 imp pt (2.8 l), certain invalids up to 14 imp pt (8.0 l). Each consumer got one tin of milk powder (equal to 8 imperial pints (4.5 l; 9.6 US pt)) every 8 weeks.

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