Come to the Table

Coffee Cake Kit

2012-01-26T22:09:00.001-05:00

I've got several "go to" recipes for Sunday morning treats, but decided to try Carole Walters' recipe for Butter Crumb Coffee Cake anyway. It's a winner!

A simply flavored cake with a generous portion of streusel, it's not overly complicated to make, either. After I baked it for the first time, though, I realized that this cake is a great candidate for a make-ahead kit. One afternoon I used the food processor to put three sets together, then stashed them in the fridge.

On Sunday it took just 22 minutes to put everything together and into the oven. That may not sound quick, but it seemed so to me. If I had prepared my pan and portioned out my liquid ingredients the night before, I could have shaved off even more time. And once the cake was baking, the counter was almost clean. I only had to toss a few bowls and such into the sink--quite an improvement over other early morning baking sessions!

So here's my version of Carole's recipe (8-10 servings at our house, 10-12 at hers). I increased the nuts in the streusel (fourfold!) and changed some of the technique. First, the kits:

Cake mix
Combine in a food processor:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Add
1/2 cup (1 stick) soft, unsalted butter
Process again until the dry ingredients are completely coated. You won't have chunks of butter (like when making scones or biscuits or pie crust), but a yellowish flour mixture. Store in the fridge in a one quart freezer bag.

Streusel mix
Combine in a food processor:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon (or more)
1/2 tsp baking powder
scant 1/2 tsp salt
Add
1 cup walnuts or pecans
Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Store in the fridge in a one pint freezer bag.

To bake: Ideally, take the kits out of the refrigerator the night before so the butter in the cake mix can come up to room temperature. If your daughter's crazy cat is about, hide it in the microwave or a cabinet until morning.

Mix the streusel: Heat 2/3 cup unsalted butter until it's almost melted. Stir to finish melting. Stir in the streusel mix and set aside for 10-15 minutes so the flour can absorb the butter.

Prepare the 10" springform pan: Grease the pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the paper, and flour the whole thing. Tap out any excess flour.

Prepare the cake:
Whisk together
2/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla (use the best you can)

Dump the cake mix into a large bowl. Add the liquid ingredients.
Beat with a spoon or spatula until the batter is smooth, about one minute.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a large soup spoon or offset spatula.
Take a handful of the streusel crumbs and squeeze gently to form a large clump. Then break the clump apart and sprinkle the crumbs onto the batter. Repeat until all of the streusel mixture has been used. Lightly press the streusel into the batter.
Bake the cake for about 50 minutes (the original recipe says 40-45, which is never enough in my oven), or until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing. I like to remove the sides of the pan and work a spatula under the parchment paper. Then I slide the whole cake onto a cutting board.
The cake is supposed to be dusted with powdered sugar just before serving, but so far (3X) I have always forgotten that! No one seems to mind . . . ;-)

Real Lemonade

2011-08-12T08:34:00.000-04:00

We usually drink lemonade mixed from frozen concentrate. I dilute it quite a bit, preparing a gallon from a 12 oz. can of concentrate. It's fine, and quite popular compared to our usual beverage choices: water, milk, and iced tea (if you're an adult or have drunk your milk quota for the day!).

Last week David improvised a few glasses of lemonade for himself and Rebecca, which she enjoyed immensely. Then yesterday she persuaded me to make some when she and a friend came in hot and sweaty from outdoor play. There was a warehouse-sized bag of lemons in the basement fridge, so it was easy to bring me on board.

This recipe comes from The Boxcar Children Cookbook, which makes it a sentimental favorite. Long ago this book was one of our favorite sources as David and I prepared monthly meals together. (Vegetarian/Redwall inspired recipes were another focus.) Anyway, here's my slightly adapted version:

Maggie's Lemonade

adapted from The Boxcar Children Cookbook

1 cup sugar

2 quarts water, divided

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

~1/4 cup red cherry juice, optional

Combine the sugar with 1 cup water. Heat in the microwave 1 or 2 minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add remaining water, lemon juice, and optional cherry juice. Chill and serve over ice.

If you're in a hurry to drink your lemonade, substitue ice cubes for part of the water. Enjoy!

Bubbles!

2011-08-10T19:59:00.002-04:00

Have you ever enjoyed bubble tea? It's a fun treat. There are recipes all over the internet, but it's not too hard to improvise, either.

Find large tapioca pearls at an Asian grocery store. Cook according to package directions (usually some simmering and soaking). This time I strained the pearls, dropped them into glasses,

and poured on some strawberry lemonade.

The lemonade was improvised, too. I mixed it from frozen concentrate (I use A LOT more water than the can suggests, making almost a gallon from 12 oz.), and pureed it with partly thawed frozen strawberries.

Easy-peasy, and lots of fun!

The bubbles are slightly gooey and slightly chewy. They can be scooped up with a spoon, but it's especially fun to slurp them up with a fat straw. Surprisingly, I haven't been able to find these straws at any of the Asian markets that sell the tapioca. I finally found some at my local grocer, called "milkshake straws." Who knew?

We've made several variations so far. Lauren likes bubbles in hot, sweetened tea. I've shaken them with jasmine tea, crushed ice, sugar, and cream. We even imitated a Starbucks drink by mixing lemonade, iced tea, and passion fruit nectar (usually found in the Latino foods aisle). The sky's the limit--have fun!

Pork Lo Mein

2011-06-05T13:36:00.000-04:00

I prefer to borrow cookbooks from the library and test-drive them before buying my own copies. The Best Skillet Recipes, from Cook's Illustrated, is a keeper. Several recipes have become family favorites, including the cherry cobbler and pork lo mein. Here's my slightly adapted version of the latter.

Like all stir-fries, this entree is quick to toss together IF you've got your ingredients prepped and ready before you heat up your skillet. Speaking of which, a word about equipment:

CI points out that a wide skillet is better than a wok for American stoves. More food comes into contact with the heat, making for better browning and quicker cooking. Once I read that, my stir fry frustrations made so much sense! No matter how I turned my flame, the food never cooked quickly enough in my old wok, often simmering in juices rather than frying. Anyway, try a skillet! For this recipe, use one with a 12" diameter.

I'll write the "serves 4" version of the recipe, although it should be enough for 6 people. If my whole family is home (8), I'll prepare 1 1/2 batches (in a deep 13" skillet) and we end up with leftovers.

Pork Lo Mein, adapted from The Best Skillet Recipes
1# pork tenderloin, trimmed and sliced into thin strips
8 tsp low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
12 medium scallions (~2 bunches), white and green parts separated, both parts sliced on the bias into 1" lengths
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (~2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (3 oz) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packets discarded
2 Tbsp oyster-flavored sauce
2 tsp-2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 # green cabbage (~1/4 medium head), cored and sliced thin
1-2 carrots, coarsely shredded (optional)

Set out your ingredients. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and toss with 2 tsp of the soy sauce.

Scallion whites get their own bowl. After typing the list above, I now realize I cut these too small!

Garlic, ginger (those are not slices--read about it in the notes), and red pepper flakes:

Oyster-flavored sauce, sesame oil, and the remaining 2 Tbsp soy sauce:

Cabbage, scallion greens (cut properly here), and optional carrot shreds:

(There's more cabbage in the above container than the recipe calls for because I double it to make the lo mein a one-dish meal.)

Heat 1/2 Tbsp of the oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half the pork, break up any clumps, and cook without stirring until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Stir the pork and continue to cook until cooked through, 1 minute longer. Transfer the pork to a bowl, cover to keep warm, and set aside. Repeat with the remaining pork.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the scallion whites and cook until lightly browned and softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the broth. Break the bricks of ramen into small chunks and add to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook, tossing the noodles constantly with tongs or wooden paddles to separate, until the ramen is just tender but there is still liquid in the pan, about 2 minutes.

(Cook a little more than this picture shows before moving on to the next step.)

Stir in the sauce ingredients and the remaining vegetables. Cook until the cabbage is wilted and the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Return the pork, along with any accumulated juices, to the skillet and cook until warmed through, about 30 seconds.

Serve. Enjoy!

Notes:

I double the cabbage to make this a one-dish meal.
The optional carrots add a bit more nutrition and a spark of color.
I typically buy a large package (4-6#) of pork tenderloin at the warehouse store. I'll cut it all up, packing 1 or 1 1/2# allotments into freezer bags. It's so handy to have the meat on hand and ready to go.
I keep processed ginger in my freezer, too. It's a small time investment that saves me waste and time.

Here's the short-hand version:

Prep:

pork with 2 tsp soy sauce
scallion whites
garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes
scallion greens, cabbage, carrot
oyster sauce, sesame oil, 2 Tbsp soy sauce

Cook pork in batches. Set aside.

Fry scallion whites until softened. Add garlic, etc. and stir until fragrant.

Add broth and ramen. Cook until tender but some liquid remains.

Add sauce and vegetables. Cook until cabbage is wilted and sauce is thickened.

Add pork, warm through, and serve.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Scones

2011-05-11T06:55:00.000-04:00

While she was home over Christmas break, Lauren discovered a recipe for pumpkin scones with cinnamon sugar glaze. She made them several times to rave reviews. "The best scones I've ever had!" was a typical reaction.

The basic formula is quite similar to my standard scone; I like to prepare bags of mix (using the food processor) to keep on hand in the fridge. Today I made a pumpkin variation using my mix rather than starting from scratch. Every minute saved is a help in the morning!

Here's what I did:
1. To one bag of scone mix, add 1 1/2 tsp cake spice (or combine cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger).
2. Combine

1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup (scant) 1/2 &1/2 or milk
1 egg
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

3. Stir wet into dry, knead (it may take a while to come together), roll, cut, and bake scones. (See my standard recipe for the full notes.)
4. When cool, ice with

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
cream or milk as needed to make a properly thick glaze (depending on how warm the scone is)

Rather than measure, I usually just pour powdered sugar into a large (10 oz) pyrex custard cup. This is what one exact cup looks like:

If you already know how to make scones, and just want the amounts for my mix, here goes: 2 cups flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 6 Tbsp (regular salted) butter.

Enjoy!

Glazed Corned Beef

2011-03-17T20:54:00.002-04:00

We always eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. My family enjoys it so much I could serve it more often; I usually manage just once or twice more a year. My favorite treatment comes from Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery. The meat is simmered in a crockpot, then brushed several times with a molasses-based glaze as it finishes in the oven. Delicious!

Glazed Corned Beef, lightly adapted from Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery

1 (3 1/2 to 4#) corned beef brisket (flat cut is best)
2 Tbsp prepared mustard (I use Dijon)
1 1/2 tsp horseradish
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup molasses

In a slow cooker, cover the corned beef with water. Cook on low 10-12 hours or until tender.
Drain the corned beef. Gently remove the external fat layers. Place the meat in a baking dish covered with heavy duty aluminum foil.
Combine the remaining ingredients and brush on all sides of the meat. Bake at 400, brushing with the sauce several times, about 20 minutes or until the beef begins to brown. Cut across the grain.

Today I oh-so-gently simmered the corned beef on top of the stove for most of the day. The 7# slab I bought was still partially frozen, so I didn't want to risk the slowness of the crockpot. Besides, it's easier to cook the cabbage in the flavored broth already in a cooking pot instead of trying to transfer that liquid from the slow cooker.

Our traditional Irish dinner has always included cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and soda bread. I've usually boiled all the vegetables, but admittedly they end up tasting pretty bland. This year I briefly simmered only the cabbage in the corned beef broth, and it picked up a lot of flavor (more than usual--because the stock was made on the stove?). The carrots were glazed with brown sugar and lemon juice, and I fried the potatoes with onions. The traditional elements, ramped up just a bit. Yum!

BTW, the soda bread is an adaptation (Of course; I rarely leave well enough alone!) of my mom's recipe. I'll try to post that soon.

Stromboli

2011-01-04T15:30:00.000-05:00

In October I made an elaborate Indian meal for David and his college friends, one of whom is vegan (no eggs or dairy, in addition to no meat). Of course, I could have made pasta with tomato sauce or black beans and rice, or some other simple dinner. But, no . . .

Anyway, one of our side dishes was stuffed bread--individual disks filled with spiced potatoes and carrots. It was delicious! Joseph commented that it would be great to have bread wrapped around a filling again, especially if that filling included meat. He was describing stromboli.

Stromboli is a specialty of my sister's husband. He usually makes it as a side dish for Christmas dinner. I finally obtained a copy of the recipe and made some for my family. Here's how it goes:

Thaw a one-pound loaf (or three!) of store-bought frozen bread dough. Let it rise until doubled, or at least soft and puffy.

Roll out the dough on parchment paper that has been cut to fit a jelly roll (~11" x 17") pan. Brush lightly with beaten egg. I used two eggs for three loaves.

Start layering the filling. The recipe calls for meat, cheese, meat, and cheese.

I used turkey Italian sausage (Shady Brook Farms tastes best. I use hot, which isn't spicy but has more flavor than sweet.), ham, and turkey pepperoni. Provolone and sliced mozzarella were the cheeses of choice.

Leave room on a long side for rolling up and connecting the dough.

No, that's not Parmesan on the pepperoni--it's frost! I keep my leftover in the freezer.

Each loaf was different: sausage/pepperoni, ham/pepperoni, and sausage/ham (our favorite).

Use the parchment to help you begin rolling up the loaf.

It may be a bit of a struggle to keep the filling in! Muscle it along as best you can, and seal the dough.

Pinch the dough together thoroughly.

Lay your stromboli, seam side down, on the parchment on a baking sheet with sides.

Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Slice and serve.

Parchment saves clean up time, and the sides of the pan prevent disaster when the cheesy goodness inevitably leaks out. I don't know if there's a correlation, but I used shredded mozzarella on one loaf, and that one leaked the most.

Len still likes pizza better, but this was a fun dinner. I served it with ranch dip and warm tomato sauce on the side.

The leftovers were even better: we heated slices (on their sides) in a skillet (use cast iron or non-stick), getting them warm and crusty, then topped them with warm sauce, making a delicious knife-and-fork plateful.

Here's the general outline, summarized:

1# loaf frozen bread dough, thawed and risen

beaten egg

meat, 2 kinds, 1/4# each?

provolone and mozzarella, 1/4# each

sesame seeds, optional

dip or sauce, optional

Roll out dough. Brush with beaten egg. Layer with meat and cheese. Roll up and pinch seam. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Jam Crumb Cake

2010-07-31T22:54:00.005-04:00

When my sister-in-law baked this treat for me, I printed out the recipe from epicurious. After reading numerous online comments and baking it myself, I came up with my own tweaked version.

This coffeecake is relatively easy to mix. It's stirred together, muffin-style, rather than using a mixer, creaming the butter, etc.

The picture below shows how I cope with my no-cooked-fruit child: I make a jam-free piece, mark it with toothpicks before adding the topping, then bake. I don't always accommodate everyone's preferences (poor Lauren doesn't care for our most commonly baked banana muffins), but this is an easy fix.On to the recipe...

Jam Crumb Cake 6-8 servings

Crumb Topping
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
generous 1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups flour

Cake
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup raspberry (or other fruit) jam

Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan.
Make the crumb topping: whisk together butter, sugars, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Stir in flour.
For the cake:
Whisk together dry ingredients.
In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk and egg. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The butter will form little clumps if the milk is cold; this is a good thing!
Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients. Stir just to combine. Spread in the prepared pan. There will not be much batter--don't worry!
Dollop jam over the surface of the batter. Swirl it gently.
Squeeze the topping ingredients into clumps and scatter over the surface of the batter.
Bake at 400* until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Serve from the pan. Enjoy!

Notes:

Much of this can be made ready the night before baking: crumb topping, dry ingredients for cake, pan prep, etc.
I have completely assembled some coffeecakes in the evening, refrigerated, and baked the next day. I haven't tried that with this particular recipe, but it should work. Let me know if you do it.
Sometimes I make two pans at a time with different jams. I've also doubled the recipe and assembled it in a 9" x 13" pan.

Deluxe Eggs

2010-07-29T20:33:00.000-04:00

Deluxe eggs have become a regular part of our Sunday morning repertoire. After 9:00 a.m. mass, we eat a big breakfast (brunch, really) of something baked (coffeecake, sweet rolls, biscuits, etc.) and something hearty (bacon or sausage or, nearly always, deluxe eggs). This is enough to keep us going until our early Sunday dinner.

What follows is more technique than recipe. Amounts vary by how many you're feeding, but the process remains the same.

Note that a non-stick pan is essential--it cleans up well, and is responsive to heat changes. Cast iron, usually a non-stick contender, holds its heat too well in this case.

Deluxe Eggs
sweet (Vidalia) onion, chopped
eggs (~1 1/2 per person)
bacon bits or chopped ham
grated cheese (We like a Mexican blend.)

Saute onions over medium heat in some butter or your favorite spread.Beat eggs in a bowl, crank the heat up to HIGH, and add the eggs to your pan.Sprinkle with (real) bacon bits or chopped ham.Let set a bit, then begin scraping and stirring.BEFORE the eggs are as done as you like, sprinkle them with grated cheese, turn OFF the heat, and cover the pan. In one or two minutes the cheese will be melted and your eggs will be perfectly done--not brown or rubbery or dried out (unless that's how you like them!).
These are great with something sweet (juice or coffeecake) and some heat (try smoked Tabasco). Enjoy!

Oven Fried Catfish and Chicken Parmesan

2010-01-18T20:18:00.010-05:00

Here's a simple, tasty way to prepare catfish.Oven Fried Catfish

2# catfish fillets

~ 1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 Tbsp Old Bay seafood seasoning

Rinse fish and pat dry.
Combine crumbs, cornmeal, and Old Bay.
Set up an assembly line. Dip fish in melted butter, drain, and coat with the crumb mixture. Place on baking sheet.
Bake until fish is opaque and flaky. The timing depends on oven temperature; anything from 350-425 will work well.

Notes:

You can dip the fish in melted butter, margarine, oil, or a combination. Since I use Better Butter, which is whipped, the volume isn't accurate. This means I don't measure anymore, but guesstimate how much to melt.
To keep things tidy, it works best to use one hand for dipping only--don't touch the crumbs with it at all.
Catfish is thick and moist, difficult to overcook.
This recipe isn't appropriate for thin fish filets as the coating-to-fish ratio would be to high.
I like to keep some prepared fish in the freezer. Lay it on plastic wrap on a baking sheet, cover, and freeze. Then place two filets back-to-back, wrap in plastic, and store in a freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge on a baking sheet and bake as usual. This can also be the foundation of a give away meal--a change from the usual lasagna or chicken casserole.
I cover the baking sheets with heavy duty foil. My dish washers are appreciative. ;-)
Leftovers reheat well in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.

VARIATION: CHICKEN PARMESAN

I use the same technique to make chicken Parmesan:

2# skinless, boneless chicken breasts

melted butter

1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

The chicken can be cooked on a baking sheet (like the catfish) or in a pan with sauce (serve pasta on the side). Grease a baking pan (9 x 13" or larger, depending on how much chicken you use) and pour in a jar of pasta sauce. Mix in a little bit of water (1/2 cup?), top with chicken, and bake uncovered. Again, the timing depends on your oven temp. You already know how to cook chicken, right?

This freezes well, just like the fish. I find that 2# of chicken has less surface area (smaller but thicker pieces) than 2# of catfish, so you may not need quite as much crumb coating. Measure scant amounts or freeze the crumbs for next time.

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

2009-12-27T20:05:00.003-05:00

Our family's traditional Christmas breakfast includes cinnamon rolls and some sort of eggs or meat. I like the idea of a make-ahead casserole, but until now hadn't found one that appealed to my taste. Most are filled with bread cubes and are quite eggy, just not our style.

Last spring my sister-in-law served this dish at my nephew's First Holy Communion reception. It contains a LOT of sausage, with potatoes instead of bread cubes, and just 4 eggs. It was hearty and flavorful, so I decided to try it this week.

I prepared steps 1-5 on Christmas Eve. Before leaving for mass in the morning I mixed the eggs, milk, and biscuit mix, and put the casserole in the oven. I set the oven on delay start (and at a temperature lower than the recipe suggests) so it would begin baking while we were at church. When we got home I pulled out the casserole, baked the risen rolls, and we soon settled down for a delicious brunch. I hope you like it as much as we did.

Sausage Biscuit Bake (Don Gaspar Inn, New Mexico)

2 # Jimmy Dean sausage (I used reduced fat)
1 # frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 # shredded Mexican cheese blend
4 eggs
2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 cup Bisquick (I used my version of Leila's homemade mix)

Fry sausage in a large nonstick skillet, breaking it up as it cooks, until it has browned.
Spread sausage into a greased 9 x 13" dish, leaving the drippings in the pan for the potatoes. (The reduced fat meat was so non-greasy that I added some oil to the pan for the next step.)
Add hash browns to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, allowing it to brown nicely.
Add potatoes to the baking dish, gently mixing to distribute evenly.
Top with cheese. The dish may be covered and refrigerated at this stage.
In a bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then add milk and biscuit mix. Pour over the sausage mixture and bake at 400*for at least 35 minutes (it may take 45-50 min.) until the center is set and a knife comes out clean (no raw egg). Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

This was so easy and tasty that it may become a Sunday tradition--no need to wait until Christmas comes again!

Onion Soup

2009-09-16T21:02:00.006-04:00

I don't know why I save onion soup for special occasions. It's relatively simple to make, and is one of Len's favorites. Maybe it's that I've never considered such a brothy soup hearty enough for a meal, so I tend to use it as an appetizer, and how often do I serve multi-course meals (Christmas, maybe)?

Tonight I served onion soup and chicken noodle soup for this season's Soup Night kickoff, and with salad and bread it WAS enough for dinner. Maybe I'll make it for one of our family's favorite simple meals: soup, artisan bread, cheese, and apples.

This recipe is based on Mollie Katzen's from her Moosewood Cookbook. The most obvious change is that I usually use beef broth. A quadruple batch made about 5 quarts, in case you were wondering.

Onion Soup
5 cups thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
butter, as needed
1 quart stock or water (I use Swanson's 50% less sodium beef broth in a box)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
3 Tbsp dry white wine
1/2 tsp dry mustard
dash of thyme
a few dashes of white pepper
1 tsp honey
optional toppers:
skinny, dense French baguette
garlic cloves, peeled
shredded Italian cheese blend

Cook the onions and garlic, lightly salted, in the butter in a kettle. Cook them until very-but-not-too brown. Use medium heat to cook them gradually and thoroughly. I leave the lid on for a long time, then cook uncovered to evaporate the liquid and promote browning. Watch carefully and stir more frequently during the uncovered stage. The onions will decrease dramatically in volume.
Add remaining soup ingredients. Cook slowly, covered, at least 30 minutes.

You know how yummy onion soup is with bread and cheese broiled on top? Well, I don't have the correct bowls, so I improvise with this make-ahead variation:

Slice a baguette (it must be skinny and dense) at a slight angle, about 1/4 inch thick. Put the slices on a baking sheet and broil. Watch carefully, and turn them over with tongs to brown both sides. You'll need to monitor closely, because the pieces will be done at different times.
When all the slices are toasted, rub one side of each with fresh garlic.
Spread the bread on the baking sheet again. Cover with shredded cheese. I use an Italian blend, but provolone or Gruyere or whatever you like is fine. (I don't recommend something stringy like all mozzarella.) Bake (this way all the pieces will be done at once) in the oven until the cheese is melted and maybe even a little bit golden.
These goodies can be kept at room temperature and floated on top of your bowl of soup. We find that three or four slices fit nicely. They start out crunchy, but once they've soaked up some broth, the toppers can be cut and eaten with your spoon. Enjoy!

Pesto: Summer in a Bag

2009-09-11T19:29:00.009-04:00

There's something cheery about serving pesto in February. That bright green, that summery smell--fantastic!

How to achieve enjoyment of this out of season treat? Well, you can buy pesto sauce in a jar (eh), or make your own with expensive grocery store basil. I prefer to harvest our basil, make several batches of sauce, and freeze it in small bags, which are easy to thaw and toss with pasta.

Elizabeth gave me this recipe many years ago. The only changes I've made are to put "Ever Fresh" in to save the bright color and to add some salt at serving time.

Pesto Sauce

2 1/2 cups fresh basil, washed then spun or patted dry

1/2 cup walnuts

4 large garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp "Ever Fresh" or equivalent (ascorbic acid), dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

Put everything in the bowl of a food processor (a double batch fits well). Process until smooth. Store flat in pint-size freezer bags, being sure to press out all the air. To serve:

1 pound pasta (reserve 2 cups cooking water)

1/2 tsp salt, optional

2 ounces cream cheese, optional

1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Cook pasta in boiling water.
Meanwhile, thaw pesto in a container of hot water, then scrape into a serving dish. If desired, add salt and cream cheese. Mash and mix to combine, adding some pasta water as needed. Reserve more pasta water before draining.
Drain pasta and add to the sauce. Toss to coat, adding water as needed. Sprinkle with half the grated cheese, toss, add remaining cheese, and toss again. Serve with a smile.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

2009-08-30T12:43:00.018-04:00

This is a perfect dessert for a crowd: creamy, chocolatey, incredibly rich, AND simple to make (really!). I found the recipe on epicurious.com (originally from Bon Appetit, Nov '92) several years ago. I've made it many times, and in the process have tweaked and tweaked, based on epicurious commenters' and my own experiences. The recipe below is my current version.

Chocolate Mousse Pie
28 Oreo cookies
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
pinch of salt
1 quart heavy whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
additional sugar and vanilla, to taste
chocolate shavings, optional

Finely grind cookies in processor. Add butter and process until mixture is evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom of a 10" springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.
Put chocolate and salt in a food processor. Bring 1 cup cream to a boil in the microwave. With the processor running, gradually pour hot cream through feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occassionally.
Beat 2 cups cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Spread over the prepared crust and chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
Beat remaining cream (with a splash of vanilla and about 2 Tbsp sugar) to stiff peaks. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Garnish top of cake with chocolate shavings, if desired, then pipe cream rosettes around the edge.

Serves 16+

It may look like a disappointingly small piece, but because it is so rich, you'll be surprisingly satisfied.

Yesterday I successfully experimented with preparing individual servings for a party. For the "crust" I put Oreos in the bottom of foil muffin papers, then topped them with the filling (yield=28 each). They were set in less than six hours, but are easier to eat today because the cookies have softened enough to be eaten with a spoon.

Storage and transportation in the muffin pan is a handy option:I topped the mini-mousses with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. Since I used a store bought "shaker top" instead of whipping my own cream, the rosettes deflated in mere minutes, much to my distress. Next time that's one shortcut I won't take!
-

NOVEMBER 2009 UPDATE:

I wanted to take this to a party with a substantial dessert spread and felt I needed even smaller servings than the muffin cups above. At a dessert buffet, noone wants to commit to a giant portion when there are so many treats to try.

Remembering a comment from the original online version, I baked the crust in a rectangular pan (about 10" x 15", the Pyrex that's bigger than a 9" x 13"). The crust and mousse were spread thin, but I think it was perfect. I was able to cut 48 pieces.

A squeeze of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa, and the pan was ready to go.If thoroughly chilled (it's best made a day in advance but garnished just before departure), the portions are easy to serve, keeping their shape well. The low profile also meant that I could cover the pan with plastic wrap without disturbing the whipped cream. I used the real deal this time, and the rosettes looked fine even the next day.

Bulgogi

2009-08-20T12:15:00.013-04:00

Bulgogi is a classic Korean food, and perfect for summer grilling. It reminds me of an Asian taco: a lettuce "tortilla" filled with plain sticky rice and thin slices of marinated beef. The combination of crunchy, chewy, bland, and salty is fabulous!

A friend of mine was given this recipe by a Korean family she used to live near. The marinade ingredients can be tweaked to your taste.

One note: You need meat that is sliced quite thin. I get this (frozen) at an Asian market. It is called (at least here) "beef rib eye thin sliced" (see below).

A 2# package is about right for us.Okay, another note: This is best as a summer dish. Of course you can grill in the winter, but you've got to stand over it the whole time, and it's hard to see when the meat needs flipping in the dark of December. You can also broil, griddle, or saute the beef, but it's not as tasty.

Bulgogi

2# thin-sliced beef, thawed

3/4 cup soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 large bunch green onions, minced (including stems)

romaine or leaf lettuce

2 cups white rice, cooked (jasmine is quick and sticky enough)

Combine soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and sesame seeds.

Place a single layer of meat in a casserole dish. Spoon a little marinade over it. Repeat layers until all meat and marinade are used up. See how skinny? I've had it even thinner, which is easier to eat (less chewy), but more fragile and thus more difficult to cook.Cover the dish and refrigerate several hours or overnight. The meat is so thin that starting in the morning gives it plenty of time to soak up flavor by dinner.

To cook, heat grill to high. Lay meat slices on grill. Turn once. If your grill is hot enough, you'll be able to starting turning as soon as you've laid out a full set of meat.

This former dietitian is still germ-phobic enough* to have an elaborate system involving paper towels and two spatulas to avoid cross contamination between the raw and cooked pieces, but I won't burden you with that description. ;-)

To serve, have a platter of lettuce leaves on the table along with a dish of rice and the platter of meat. People assemble their own food. We find it works best to have the meat on top of the rice, to help hold everything together.

Enjoy!

*My poor, deprived children are also not allowed to eat dough or batter containing raw eggs. Such a mean mommy!

Sugar Free Fruit Pie

2009-07-01T09:20:00.000-04:00

Technically these pies are not "sugar free"--they're actually "no sugar added". I was bringing dessert to a gathering that included some folks who may not eat added sugar, but I still wanted to provide something homemade. I also didn't want to try actually baking with a sugar substitute; I'll bet there's a big learning curve, and sugar contributes a lot to texture (not just taste) in baking.

Anyway, after much pondering (I know, I know--get a life!), I figured out a way to make my summer fruit pie without sugar. I made sugar-free jello, and when it had chilled to the thick and gloppy stage I folded it into 3 cups of fruit. This was poured into a baked shell and covered with a little more jello.
The strawberry pie was gorgeous and also sliced very neatly. The blueberry pie (I used raspberry jello) didn't hold together as well, probably because it was piled into the super slumpy shell. I also didn't have as much "glaze" for the blueberries. Or maybe their packed together roundness kept the jello from surrounding them as well as the slices of strawberry. It was still quite tasty!I must admit I made real whipped cream (with sugar) for those who were able to indulge. Please don't hold it against me. :-)

Another caveat: I'm not saying this is necessarily a healthful variation. It depends on what you're careful about: sugar vs. artificial colors and aspartame. I think this is an option for the right situation.

Eating Humble Pie

2009-07-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!! Talk about hideous! When I bake an empty pie shell, I prick it all over with a fork (even the sides) and let it go. Sometimes it puffs up a little, but I just poke it a bit more during baking, and all is well. Sometimes the sides slip down a little, but not enough to matter for summer blueberry pie.

Yesterday, inspired by my sister-in-law, I tried a few variations on my usual technique. I rolled the dough inside Freeze-tite, a thicker plastic wrap that is 18" wide. What a great way to go--I didn't need extra flour, and the disk was easy to roll out and to transfer into the pie dish.

Innovation #2 was (ahem) less successful. Instead of my usual shortening, I used half butter and half shortening for the fat, trying to increase the tastiness factor. The dough was much softer. I could tell as a I transferred it and as I shaped the edges, but I decided to stick with my usual baking style anyway. You can see the results of such laziness:I had two pies to make, so I moved on to "blind baking", holding the crust in place with a piece of foil covered with weights (Split peas and lentils are what I had on hand.).I filled the foil to the tippity top because I was not just holding the bottom DOWN, but was also trying to keep the fluted edge UP. Somewhat better results, eh?Next time I'll pull the foil out a little sooner to give the top of the bottom (get it?) more time to brown.Which crust would you rather fill with yumminess? Yeah, me too.

And yes, the butter did add good flavor (although I've never minded the blandness of a Crisco crust) and maybe a little crispiness. I'm not sure if it's worth it to have such a soft dough, though. Maybe if I add a little less water...

Cherry Cobbler

2009-06-30T16:18:00.000-04:00

As I've written before, we pick, pit, and freeze the sour cherries from our tree. Since their juiciness and sourness can vary each year, I consider a pie to be too tricky to bake. Getting the filling just the right degree of sweet and thick (but not too thick!) requires a lot of guesswork.

That's why I prefer to bake cherry cobbler. It's essentially a pie filling topped with a sweet biscuit. Soupiness doesn't matter, and ice cream or whipped cream can smooth out any over-tartness.

Over the years I've combined and fiddled with recipes, never feeling confident that I had a sure winner. Well now I've found it--in Cook's Illustrated's The Best Skillet Recipes. This is a great new book, with simpler (i.e. easier) dishes than many of their others.

You can bake the cobbler in the skillet if you have a 12" one that is ovenproof. Otherwise, make the filling in a pot and transfer to a greased casserole dish before topping with the biscuit dough and baking. I'll try to remember to post a picture the next time I make this delectable dessert.

For the record, I only tweaked this recipe a tiny bit. Here you go:

Sour Cherry Cobbler
Biscuit Topping
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Cherry Filling
3/4 - 1 cup sugar, depending on your fruit
3 Tbsp cornstarch
pinch salt
~4 cups canned or thawed sour cherries, drained, with 2 cups juice reserved
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 Tbsp coarse sugar

For the biscuit topping: Whisk dry ingredients together. Pour cooled butter into the buttermilk; it will make tiny clumps. Stir wet into dry just until a dough forms. Set aside.
For the cherry filling: Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a 12" ovenproof skillet. Whisk in the reserved cherry juice and cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture simmers and is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cherries and almond extract.
Using a spoon, scoop and drop 1" pieces of the dough, spaced about 1/2" apart, over the cherry filling in the skillet, then sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the cobbler until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is thick and glossy, 25-30 minutes.
Using a potholder (The skillet handle will be hot!), remove the skillet from the oven. Let the cobbler cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Summer Blueberry Pie

2009-06-28T12:23:00.000-04:00

Blueberries are delicious, but I don't especially like them cooked. So I don't enjoy blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, or regular blueberry pie. That's why this cold version (similar to strawberry pie) appeals to me. It's also what makes it a summertime treat--FRESH berries are required.

I tweaked recipes from my aunt and from cookbook author Jane Brody to come up with my version. Simply bake a standard crust, make a sauce by cooking crushed blueberries with sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch, fold in raw berries, and chill. It's fabulous plain or with whipped cream, and easy enough to make extra--one to give away or save for tomorrow. ;-)

Summer Blueberry Pie
1 quart (4 cups) fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water (plus more for the cornstarch)
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp lemon juice
9" pre-baked pie shell
whipped cream, optional

In a medium pot, crush 1 cup of blueberries with the sugar. Add water and bring the mixture to a boil.
Meanwhile mix the cornstarch with enough water to make a pourable slurry.
After the berry mixture bubbles, remove the pot from the heat. While constantly whisking the berries, slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry. Return to the heat and continue to whisk and simmer until the mixture is clear and thickened. Remove from heat.
Stir lemon juice into the berry glaze. Pour in the remaining three cups of berries, stirring with a rubber spatula until they are all coated.
Spread filling into the pie shell and chill. Enjoy!

Notes:

For a strawberry variation, arrange 3 cups of berries in the pre-baked pie shell. Make the glaze and pour it over them. The strawberries need to be whole or halved--if you slice them, the gel will break and you will have strawberry soup!
You could substitute a graham cracker (or vanilla wafer or animal cracker) crust, if desired.
To pre-bake a regular pie crust, prick it all over (even on the sides) with a fork (this keeps it from buckling) and bake at 475 until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Although I will use store bought dough for quiche, I think it's worth the trouble to make my own crust for this pie. Baking it without any filling helps make the crust extra flaky:

(Better Than) Manicotti

2009-06-08T17:45:00.000-04:00

For years, I've stuffed pasta shells with a ricotta & spinach filling, great for baking that day or freezing for later. Not everyone was a fan, though; some folks (okay, kids) ate the noodle and left behind the big blob of filling.

Well, one of my sisters pointed out a Cook's Illustrated recipe for baked manicotti (January 2007). It's wonderful, though not truly manicotti, which is a pasta tube that gets stuffed rather like my old shells. This version is made with no-boil lasagna noodles rolled around the filling. The technique is quicker and easier, and the product is tastier, with a better pasta-to-filling ratio. I follow CI's instructions, but not their recipes, using my own filling and sauce from a jar (gasp!). Here's the "how to":

Prepare one box of no-boil lasagna noodles at a time. Pour 1 inch boiling water into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, then add noodles one by one. Soak them for five minutes, separating frequently with the tip of a knife to keep them from sticking together. Remove noodles from water (I drain, then add cold water so I can pick them up) and place in a single layer on clean kitchen towels.

Put 1/4 cup (#16 scoop) of cheese mixture on the short end of each noodle. Spread evenly three-fourths of the way up. Roll into a tube shape. Done!

Now it's time to decide where to put your creation. I usually make a huge batch, layering tubes on a baking sheet (separated by plastic wrap). These are frozen until hard and then transferred to plastic bags, from which I can remove a little or a lot, depending on the size of the crowd to be served.To serve fresh or frozen manicotti, I place the tubes on top of pasta sauce in a greased pan. Ideally, arrange the frozen tubes in the pan a day ahead so they can thaw overnight. You can cover with more sauce if you like (I usually don't).

Cover the pan with foil and bake until at least 140* internally. The time depends on how cold the pasta was and what oven temperature you choose--this food's not fussy.When the pasta is nearly done, sprinkle with Parmesan and return to the oven (uncovered) to melt the cheese.

This is a great Friday night dinner with sauce straight from the jar (I like Barilla). And if you use a nice meat sauce, the dish tastes just like lasagna. Mangia!

Here's my filling recipe. The last time I used it, I filled 55 noodles (about four dinners here). Cutting in half is simple, if you'd like to start with less.

(Better Than) Manicotti
Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles, about 55
4 (10 oz. each) packages frozen chopped spinach
5 # part-skim ricotta cheese (use 2# for a half batch)
2 # shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Thaw spinach. Squeeze out excess moisture and combine with cheeses and eggs. Assemble by rolling 1/4 cup filling onto each soaked noodle (see instructions above).

One more picky note: As I got near the end of the filling, I pre-scooped it to figure out how many noodles I would need to soak from the final box.

Gyros

2009-06-02T22:00:00.000-04:00

Gyros--YUM! Over the years, I've tried home cooked versions, and while the bread and condiments hit the right buttons, the meat was never even close.

Enter Cook's Illustrated. Two summers ago the magazine showcased gyros made with seasoned ground meat cooked in patties. These are fantastic! The recipe is a bit of a production (no surprise for CI fans), but worth it when the craving must be satisfied. Besides, I usually prepare a triple batch so there are two meals waiting in the freezer.

Here is the ground beef (instead of lamb) variation (adapted slightly) from the July/August 2007 issue:

Homemade Gyros
puffy pocketless pita bread, 1 1/2 cups torn pieces
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tsp dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, pressed
2 pounds ground beef, (I use 93/7 fat)
2-3 Tbsp oil (less if you use fattier beef)

For serving:
more pita
chopped cucumber
chopped sweet onion
chopped tomato
plain yogurt (preferably not non-fat)

Process pita pieces, onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic in food processor until smooth paste forms, about 30 seconds.
Transfer onion mixture to large bowl; add beef and gently mix with hands until thoroughly combined. Form meat mixture into small patties.
This is when I bag up the extra meat mixture for the freezer.
Cook patties in a frying pan, on the griddle, under the broiler, or (my preference) on the grill.
Warm pitas individually in the microwave or by wrapping a stack in foil and heating in the oven. Serve with condiments: cucumber, onion, tomato, and yogurt. I also like an extra sprinkle of salt on the meat.

I was in a hurry this weekend and ended up cooking a bagful of meat all together in a skillet, taco meat style. The kids thought it was great!

The patties can be chewy if the meat is overmixed, plus they can be tricky to divide among the pitas. The ground mixture was easier to serve and eat, and was certainly easier to prepare. I don't know if I'll ever make patties again!

Creamy Potato Soup

2009-04-15T15:29:00.000-04:00

My friend Anne sent me a version of this recipe, which she found in Taste of Home magazine. It's quick, vegetarian, and tasty. It does use several convenience products (which is why it's quick!), but adding just a few fresh veggies jazzes it up nicely.

Creamy Potato Soup (makes about 4 quarts)
butter or oil as needed
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, sliced
6 cups water, potato water, or vegetable broth
1 package (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
2 cans condensed cream of celery soup (low fat/low sodium is fine)
4 oz processed cheese (Velveeta) cubed
OR 6 slices American cheese (more is okay, too)
1 cup sour cream (reduced fat should be fine, although I haven't tried that yet)
1/2 tsp salt (taste completed soup first!)
1/4 tsp white or black pepper
parsley, chopped, optional
optional garnishes: shredded cheese, green onions or chives, bacon bits

Saute onion in butter or oil until tender but not brown.
Add celery and saute until almost tender.
Add potatoes and water; bring to a boil. Simmer a few minutes, until potatoes are tender.
Add canned soup and cheese; stir until cheese is melted.
Add sour cream and optional parsley. Taste to see if salt and pepper are needed. Warm through, but do not boil once the sour cream is added.
Serve topped with optional garnishes. They make it taste like a deluxe baked potato!

Interesting Ingredients: Store-Bought Pie Crust

2009-04-07T20:59:00.001-04:00

I make good pie crust. I use shortening and a light hand, so it's tender and flaky. It has a neutral flavor (rather than buttery) that works for me.

But making pie crust is time consuming and messy.

In the past year or so I finally caved and started using store-bought pie crust (Pillsbury). This is a big deal for me (baking snob?)! I haven't used it for a dessert (I can still taste the difference), but it's become the household standard for quiche, which we eat regularly.

The product is acceptable, and it gets quiche on the table, which wouldn't happen otherwise. Have you found a convenience product that's a big enough help to make up for is reduced yumminess (compared to homemade)?

Quiche

2009-04-07T16:30:00.001-04:00

Quiche is popular enough to be on my three week menu cycle. Long ago, when it was a Friday entree, it was consistently rated "thumbs down, way down", but now I put BACON in it and all is well.

This recipe is based on "A Quiche Formula" from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, so already you know I've made some changes to the original (vegetarian) version.

Quiche
one 9" pie crust
1 medium to large onion, chopped
butter or oil as needed
1/4 to 1/3 pound Swiss or cheddar cheese (~1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups)
REAL bacon bits or chopped ham
herbs: I like thyme with Penzeys' Parisien blend (chives, dill, basil, tarragon, chervil, white pepper)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk (skim works fine)
3 Tbsp flour

Saute onion in butter or oil (I use Better Butter), covered at least part of the time, until reduced and tender. This can be done ahead. In fact, it's better if the onions have a chance to cool so they won't melt the cheese.
Sprinkle cheese in the pie crust. Putting it in first helps keep the bottom crust from getting soggy.
Sprinkle in bacon or ham, then herbs. I don't have a picture of this step right now, but will try to get some next time. Meanwhile, just wing it!
Distribute onions over the other ingredients.
Process eggs, milk, and flour in a blender. Pour GENTLY (so as not to disturb the layers) into pie shell.
Bake on bottom rack of 400 degree oven, about 35-40 minutes, until the center of the quiche no longer jiggles. The filling will probably be puffed up, but will fall when it is removed from the oven. Ideally, let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes:

The flour helps "set" the filling without using cream (as so many recipes do). The blender distributes it much better than just wisking.
Filling variations are nearly endless, but this is our standard.
I do use a store-bought crust (Pillsbury)--the only way to make this a weeknight dinner.
I've made "quiche kits" to give away by layering the cheese, etc. in a pie crust, then blending the egg mixture and putting it in a quart-sized freezer bag. The bag lies on top of the filling, and everything gets wrapped in heavy duty plastic wrap and frozen. To prepare, the recipient needs to thaw in the fridge, stir the egg, pour it in, and bake. Works great!
Quiche is for dinner here, but of course it makes a great breakfast or brunch entree. I would have everything ready to go the night before (keep egg mixture in a separate container), then just pour and bake in the morning.
We reheat leftover servings (one at a time) in the microwave. Nowhere near as good as fresh, but still considered a treat compared to the usual breakfast routine.

Pasta with Red Clam Sauce

2009-04-01T20:30:00.002-04:00

Very popular at our house... BTW, that's whole wheat spaghettini in the above photo; hard to tell, eh?

Pasta with Red Clam Sauce
1 # pasta (I use bionature 100% whole wheat)
1-3 Tbs (total) butter and olive oil
4 + cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1/3 to 2/3 can tomato paste
3 cans (6 1/2 oz each) minced or chopped clams
extra olive oil, optional
Parmesan cheese, optional

Boil water, then cook and drain pasta.
Meanwhile:

Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and saute gently, until fragrant but not brown. Add oregano, basil, and red pepper.
Increase heat and add diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Open cans of clams and drain the broth into the skillet, reserving clams. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until as thick as cream.
Add clams and heat briefly. Dump pasta in bowl or platter and pour sauce on top. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Note: The clams are added at the very end so they don't get tough from simmering and simmering and simmering. They just need to be warmed up.

Interesting Ingredients--Whole Wheat Pasta

2009-03-31T13:40:00.002-04:00

Why would anyone eat whole wheat pasta, anyway? Well, it IS more nutritious, with about three times the fiber of white pasta. Most Americans eat too many refined grains, so for us, ww pasta is a simple way to buck that trend.But isn't it heavy, with a strong bran taste? Not necessarily! Some ww pasta is dreadful, but we've found the bionature brand to be truly tasty. I can find it in many shapes at Whole Foods and at least one local grocery store. (Yes, it's expensive for pasta--about $2.50--but still cheap for an entree.)Years ago, when I first attempted to switch the family to ww, I tried some other brands with poor results. We went back to white. When I tried again, I used white for some meals, but whole wheat with bold (red or meat) sauces. Then it went into macaroni and cheese. Now we're all so used to it that I'll even serve it with simply olive oil and herbs, or pesto.

Try it, you might like it! I'm also posting a recipe for pasta with red clam sauce--it might be good for a first attempt.

UPDATE 2010: Cook's Illustrated has caught on, giving Bionature the top rating in its whole wheat pasta taste test.

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini

2009-02-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

I made this for soup night yesterday. Almost everyone loved it, with several boys eating three helpings!

I had a recipe years ago from Southern Living, but couldn't find it in my files or online, so I tweaked/combined several others gathered from the internet. Here I'm recording "what I did" without figuring out how to make a smaller batch. That's your mission, if you choose to accept it...

Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini
yield: 13-14 quarts (Hey, we only had 2 quarts left!)

2 pkg (13 oz each) Barilla 3-cheese (dry) tortellini
3.75 # turkey Italian sausage (2 pkg sweet, 1 pkg hot)
3 huge (grapefruit sized) onions, chopped
1/2 head (or more) garlic, crushed
3 red peppers, chopped
4 cans (28 oz each) petite diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/3 bottle red wine (could add more)
Beef broth as needed--sorry for the lack of detail. I think I used 3 boxes of Swanson reduced sodium broth and 4 cans of Campbells double-rich beef bouillon plus 4-6 cans of water.
4 huge carrots, sliced (good, but more would be okay, too)
4 stalks celery, sliced (good, but more would be okay, too)
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped (use 2 or 3 bunches next time)
Parmesan cheese for garnish, if desired

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside (maybe in a big plastic bag).
Saute sausage until lightly browned.
Add onion and garlic and cook until softened.
Add red pepper and cook until softened.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, wine, and broth. Simmer at least 30 minutes. Check and adjust seasoning.
About 15-20 minutes before serving (depending on thickness of veggies), add carrots and celery. Simmer until just tender.
Just before serving, add parsley and pre-cooked tortellini (it will warm up quickly).
Garnish individual bowls with Parmesan cheese and pepper (black or red), if desired.

Notes:

The leftovers taste good, but are less spicy after the first day. Add a little crushed red pepper to your own serving before reheating, unless your whole family likes it hot. (In that case, use all hot sausage in the first place.)
The leftovers taste good but look like stew rather than soup. The tortellini soak up the broth, and so they swell and fall apart, too.
This can be made in advance, but DO NOT add the tortellini (or parsley) until the last minute, after the soup is already hot.
Most of the recipes I found suggested adding zucchini or spinach. I chose not to, partly out of respect for all the kids who come to soup night. Chopped frozen spinach could probably be hidden easily enough. Zucchini would have gotten soft and yucky sitting on the stove for the hour and half of our get-together. How's that for a good excuse? ;-)

Oatmeal Muffins

2009-01-28T16:55:00.001-05:00

These muffins are moist and tender, and are actually better the second day. Since some of my children don't care for dried fruit, I'll sometimes scoop a few plain muffins before adding the bits. The mixer is required, vs. my usual dump-and-stir muffins, so they're a less frequent treat. The recipe is (lightly) adapted from Jane Brody's Good Food Book.

1 cup buttermilk (maybe a little more)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour (I use King Arthur's white whole wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt, optional
3 Tbsp wheat germ
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1 egg

Combine buttermilk and oatmeal and let stand until liquid is absorbed, at least half an hour. I usually keep it in the fridge overnight or microwave it for a minute or two to get a head start.
Mix dry ingredients in another bowl. Add dried fruit, making sure it's not stuck together.
Beat the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light. Beat in the honey and the egg.
In alternating batches, add the flour mixture and the oat mixture to the butter mixture, stirring to moisten the dry ingredients after each addition. (I use the mixer on low.)
Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups (#16 scoop). Bake at 400* for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake.

Notes:

The recipe calls for raisins, which are my last choice. I prefer dried apricots, dates, peaches, cherries, craisins, etc. Mix and match to your taste. I prefer pieces that are smaller than raisins.

Don't be surprised--the batter is quite stiff. Sometimes I add more buttermilk, especially if I microwaved the oatmeal too long. It works best to add extra buttermilk to the oat mixture, but you won't know what it should look like until you've made your first batch. Don't worry--they're yummy!

Citrus Sections

2009-01-12T18:10:00.001-05:00

Grapefruit and oranges are THE winter fruits--juicy, healthy, and at their best when the rest are NOT. (Fresh blueberries, anyone? I don't think so!) Many at our house like citrus fruit, but sometimes it's just too much trouble to actually consume it.

When I'm feeling generous (or am procrastinating in another life area or have just bought 15# bags of fruit from the big store) I'll prepare these citrus sections for the family.

Disclaimers: it's healthier to eat the fruit with membranes, and it can be time consuming to cut up so much fruit. BUT: It's so yummy and EASY to eat this way. This is also a nice special occasion salad, like for Sunday or brunch or breakfast in bed.

First cut the top off the fruit with a serrated knife. Then cut off the rest of the peel. Make sure you cut through the outer membrane/skin, exposing all the fruit. You won't necessarily waste a lot of fruit. Cut just barely through the skin. See how little grapefruit is left on the peel below?

The next step is hard to demonstrate with these pictures, but if you get this far in real life it should become clear. Hold the fruit in one hand and slide your knife down the inside of a section, between the fruit and the membrane.Turn or twist the knife, sliding upwards along the other side of the section, to push out a beautiful bite of fruit, leaving the section separators behind. Continue around the rest of the fruit. Eventually you'll be left with a hunk of membranes. There's a little fruit clinging to this, so squeeze the juice into your container.Make just enough for right now, or stock up if you have the time. Properly sealed, this fruit will keep for several days in the fridge. We've never had any last longer than that. :-)

A big bowl of citrus sections:An even bigger pile of peels!

BTW, I think 2 oranges per grapefruit makes a nice mix.

FYI--Ginger

2009-01-10T20:36:00.001-05:00

In case you're interested, the post on "ginger made easy" now has pictures! Oooh... Aaah...

Banana Muffins

2009-01-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

At our house these are actually called banana-chocolate chip muffins, because the "optional" chocolate is omitted only during Lent. ;-)

This recipe is adapted from one in Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home. I like it because it uses up a lot of banana and because it calls for a measured amount of mashed fruit rather than the less precise number of whole bananas.

Dry Ingredients

2 cups flour (I use white whole wheat)

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Wet Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 4 each)

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Whisk together most of the dry ingredients, then stir in the chocolate chips.
Whisk together the wet ingredients.
Pour wet into the dry and stir gently to combine.
Scoop into 12 paper-lined muffin cups.
Bake at 375 degrees until toothpick comes out dry, 20-22 minutes.
Enjoy!

Notes:

If you don't have enough banana, you may substitute some applesauce. I keep some single serving applesauce on hand to top off banana or pumpkin for muffins. (Once in a while I even let the children eat some...)
Make ahead tip: Prep the wet and dry ingredients (separately!) the night before. Instead of mixing everything together, layer the wet ingredients, covering the banana with the eggs and oil. They'll seal out the air, keeping the banana pretty. (This picture shows enough for a double batch.)

For longer storage, keep the dry ingredients in a bag in the fridge or pantry. Stir the wet ingredients together and freeze in a bag or container. The banana mixture will turn brown, but that won't affect the final muffins. I haven't tried my layering trick in the freezer. The eggs need to be mixed in before freezing, but mixing just egg and banana and then covering with oil might keep everything more attractive, not that it's really a big deal.
These are big muffins. You could easily get 15-16 smaller muffins, but since I like to bake just one pan at a time, a batch of 12 is most efficient for me.

Baklava

2008-12-29T22:00:00.000-05:00

Baklava is a delicious treat--sweet with honey and cinnamon, crisp with filo and butter, rich with nuts. It is so intense that a little piece goes a long way, which means one pan is enough for a crowd.

Depending on whether you're a half-full or half-empty sort of person, this recipe is either simple but time consuming or time consuming but simple. Either way, it's worth the effort!

For the syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 inch thick slice of lemon
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup honey

Combine sugar, water, lemon, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15-20 minutes, until it has the consistency of light syrup (about 1 1/3 cups). Pour into glass measuring cup with the honey. Cool, then remove lemon and cinnamon. This can be made a day in advance and kept, covered, at room temperature--I leave the lemon and cinnamon in until it's time to pour the syrup.Pastry/Filling:
~1 cup ground almonds
~1 cup ground walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 pound filo pastry, thawed in refrigerator, then brought to room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted

Combine nuts, sugar, and cinnamon. It's okay to use up to 2 1/2 cups nuts, but fewer nuts = crisper, flakier pastry.

Skim foam from butter. Brush 9 x 13" pan with butter.

Lay filo on the counter and cover with a damp cloth. This will keep it from drying out and cracking. Gently lift a sheet of dough and spread neatly in the pan. Butter it lightly. Other sheets of dough will be wrinkled to fit in the pan (so rips don't matter) and buttered lightly--brush or dab.

After putting 6 buttered filo sheets in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with 1/4 of the nut mixture. Top with 1 more buttered sheet, then 1/4 filling. Repeat.

Layer on the remaining filo sheets, buttering each (~9). Spread the top piece out flat and trim the edges to fit the pan.

Carefully cut partway through the layers (down to the beginning of the nut layer) in a diamond pattern: make diagonal cuts, starting at the top (short side) and going to the right (long) side. Then make vertical cuts from top to bottom.

Bake at 325* until the top is golden and crisp and edges pull away from the pan sides,an hour or longer. (The bottom will be darker than the top.)

Pour cool syrup over hot baklava (stay "inside the edges" of the baked pastry). Let stand to absorb the syrup, at least 3 hours. (I cover it loosely with waxed paper.) Cut through the bottom layer and serve.

If you think there is too much pastry on top, you can put more sheets of dough on the bottom instead. It won't make the bottom layer noticeably taller, though.

Fancy Salad

2008-12-26T17:34:00.001-05:00

This salad is easy, delicious, and prettier than the photo shows. I almost called it "girlie" salad--its fan base does not skew towards men or children, although some will eat it. Most ladies LOVE it!This recipe explains ingredients and technique rather than amounts.

spring mix greens (prewashed and dried)
balsamic vinaigrette
goat cheese
craisins
walnuts, toasted and chopped coarsely

Toss greens with the dressing; use your hands. Spread salad on a platter or individual plates. Sprinkle with clumps of goat cheese, then craisins, then walnuts. Serve immediately!

Notes:

The lettuce starts out fluffy. You'll need a big bowl for mixing, but not as much serving space.
I don't know of a tasty brand of balsamic vinaigrette. I make my dressing by blending Good Seasons Italian mix, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil.
The lettuce will begin to wilt within the hour, so don't dress it until the last possible moment. (And it doesn't need much dressing, either...) I have made this for parties, though, and it is usually eaten before it looks too bad. ;-)
For a large batch, I used 1# spring mix and 1/2# of goat cheese. I didn't measure the craisins or nuts--these are pantry staples usually on hand. This filled two oval platters and could probably make 10-16 individual plates.
I recommend a platter rather than a bowl because it looks better and it's easier to distribute the "goodies" if they're scattered across the top of the salad. Once you try mixing it all together, you'll find the greens on top, covering up everything else.

Pomegranate Tutorial

2008-12-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big fan of pomegranates (too seedy!), but the rest of the family really likes them. They're a seasonal treat, showing up around November to December.

I learned from Sunset magazine how to prepare them neatly for easy eating. The key is to do most of the work under water to keep the bright red juice from splattering all over.

First I cut the fruit into quarters through the skin. I pull the quarters apart under the water.

The seeds are in little compartments separated by papery walls. Just rub them gently to dislodge. The juicy seeds sink to the bottom while the waste pieces float on top for easy removal.Notice that the water is not as clear as at the beginning? It's discolored from all the juice that did NOT spray on the wall, the coffeemaker, and my shirt!Pour off the floaty bits, rinse, pour off again, and drain.Scoop into your serving bowl and enjoy.

Hot Spiced Cider

2008-11-20T16:41:00.001-05:00

Just the thing for a cold afternoon, this recipe is based on the one from Alice Cantrell's Tea & Cake With the Saints: A Catholic Young Lady's Introduction to Hospitality and the Home Arts.

2 quarts apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole allspice
1 tsp whole cloves
(For 1 gallon of cider, just increase to 3 cinnamon sticks and 1 1/2 tsp each allspice and cloves.)

Break the cinnamon sticks once or twice. Combine with other spices in a small piece of cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Tie with UN-waxed dental floss. Float with cider in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and keep warm.
This can also be heated in a crockpot. I don't usually have all day, though, so I microwave it in the insert until the cider is hot, then just keep it warm in the crockpot.

I like to use the rustic cider (vs. the clear bottled kind), but prefer to decant from the jug without shaking it. Too many particles seem to cook together into unappetizing clumps.

Tools of the Trade: Dental Floss

2008-11-20T15:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, dental floss! UN-waxed floss is thin and strong, and occasionally quite useful in the kitchen. I've always got some hidden in the back of a drawer.

Floss can be used to tie up poultry legs or stuffed pork roast.
It does a fine job cutting yeast dough (as in cinnamon rolls). Just ease it under the dough, cross over the top of the dough, and pull in opposite directions.
You can use a similar technique to cut cakes into even layers. Position the floss right where you want it around the edge, cross, and pull through.
I was making hot spiced cider last week and wanted to keep the spices all together. Not one to keep chesecloth on hand, I fashioned a bag out of a coffee filter and dental floss. It worked very well and was easy to fish out after steeping.

There you have it--a new tool to try. Just make sure it's UN-waxed!

UPDATE: I'm having difficulty finding unwaxed floss. I'll have to settle for unflavored floss for cold applications (cutting dough and cake layers); I still prefer unwaxed for other jobs (in the oven, hot cider).

Cinnamon Rolls

2008-11-20T10:05:00.000-05:00

Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe makes two 9" x 13" pans of soft, sweet, buttery, cinnamony rolls. They are irresistible! I've slightly adapted it from a recipe from my mom's friend's mother-in-law, Adelaide.

Rolls:
2 cups milk
1/3 cup cold butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 pkg yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp salt
6 cups (+) flour

Filling:
1 cup softened butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
cream or milk
splash of vanilla, optional

Heat the 2 cups milk (but don't boil). Pour into mixing bowl and add butter, cut in chunks. Let butter melt (which will cool the milk, too). When the milk is lukewarm (105-115 degrees F), add sugar, egg, and yeast. Let it stand for about 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to foam. Add salt and 3 cups flour, mixing well. Add remaining flour and knead into a soft dough. You may need more flour. (In a Kitchen Aid mixer, mix on speed 2 until the dough clears the sides of the bowl--sprinkling more flour if necessary--then mix for 2 more minutes.) Cover and let rise until doubled.

Meanwhile, combine filling ingredients.

Punch down the risen dough. Roll 1/2 the dough into a rectangle, about 12" x 18". I like to work on freezer paper taped to the counter. I made a few marks on it to guide the size of my rectangle. Spread with the filling, leaving about 1/2" strip of dough plain. Roll up the dough along the long side and pinch the edges to seal.

[I misread the recipe this time--that picture shows only HALF the recommended filling...]
Cut into 20 pieces. I cut the long roll in half, then each of those in half, leaving four smaller logs. Cut each of these into 5 pieces. Try to make the thicknesses similar. Some rolls will be wider than others, because the center of your original roll is bigger than the ends. Just put the smaller ones in the middle of the pan. Lay these 20 rolls in a greased 9" x 13" pan. Repeat with remaining dough.
I make the first cut with a knife, but use unwaxed dental floss (or at least unflavored, if that's all I can find) for all the rest. Ease it under the dough and wrap it around the top. Pull the two ends in opposite directions, and you'll make a beautiful, clean cut that doesn't smush the roll out of shape.

Cover and let rise again until almost double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. I bake only one pan at a time.

Glaze while hot or warm or cool. Mix the powdered sugar with cream or milk (and optional vanilla) to achieve the proper consistency. If you are glazing hot rolls, make the icing very thick; it will melt all over. The cooler the rolls, the thinner your icing can start out. You may want to spread icing on one roll and watch it for a few minutes to decide whether or not to add more milk.

These are, of course, best eaten warm. Microwaving a cool roll for just a few seconds works wonders.

Make-ahead tips:
The rolls pictured here were mixed, risen, spread, and cut one night then put in the fridge. In the morning I warmed the oven SLIGHTLY, put a Pyrex of boiling water on the floor, and let the rolls rise in there. Then I baked one pan at a time.

My mom and I have had success baking the rolls ahead and then freezing them (uniced and out of the pan) wrapped in plastic and foil. When ready to serve, just put in pans, thaw (overnight at room temperature), warm in the oven (covered with foil), and glaze.

I think they are best freshly baked, so for Christmas 2008 I am going to try freezing the raw sliced rolls, thawing them in the fridge, and baking in the morning. I'll update the recipe with my success or failure.

UPDATE: I made the Christmas rolls just a day ahead, but my sister froze some shaped rolls. She said they thawed and baked up beautifully. Now we know!

Note: I've copied all this text below without pictures for anyone who wants to print just the recipe. Bon Appetit!

Bonus picture: Here's the island late at night after roll making and birthday decorating. Yes, I went to bed with it looking like that! I did get up early enough to raise and bake the rolls and get everything clean again. I must clear and wash that thing at least three times a day...

Cinnamon Rolls
This recipe makes two 9" x 13" pans of soft, sweet, buttery, cinnamony rolls. They are irresistible! I've slightly adapted it from a recipe from my mom's friend's mother-in-law, Adelaide.

Rolls:
2 cups milk
1/3 cup cold butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 pkg yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp salt
6 cups (+) flour

Filling:
1 cup softened butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar
cream or milk
splash of vanilla, optional

Heat the 2 cups milk (but don't boil). Pour into mixing bowl and add butter, cut in chunks. Let butter melt (which will cool the milk, too). When the milk is lukewarm (105-115 degrees F), add sugar, egg, and yeast. Let it stand for about 5 minutes, until the yeast begins to foam. Add salt and 3 cups flour, mixing well. Add remaining flour and knead into a soft dough. You may need more flour. (In a Kitchen Aid mixer, mix on speed 2 until the dough clears the sides of the bowl--sprinkling more flour if necessary--then mix for 2 more minutes.) Cover and let rise until doubled.

Meanwhile, combine filling ingredients.

Punch down the risen dough. Roll 1/2 the dough into a rectangle, about 12" x 18". I like to work on freezer paper taped to the counter. I made a few marks on it to guide the size of my rectangle. Spread with the filling, leaving about 1/2" strip of dough plain. Roll up the dough along the long side and pinch the edges to seal.

Cut into 20 pieces. I cut the long roll in half, then each of those in half, leaving four smaller logs. Cut each of these into 5 pieces. Try to make the thicknesses similar. Some rolls will be wider than others, because the center of your original roll is bigger than the ends. Just put the smaller ones in the middle of the pan. Lay these 20 rolls in a greased 9" x 13" pan. Repeat with remaining dough.

I make the first cut with a knife, but use UN-waxed dental floss for all the rest. Ease it under the dough and wrap it around the top. Pull the two ends in opposite directions, and you'll make a beautiful, clean cut that doesn't smush the roll out of shape.

Cover and let rise again until almost double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. I bake only one pan at a time.

Glaze while hot or warm or cool. Mix the powdered sugar with cream or milk (and optional vanilla) to achieve the proper consistency. If you are glazing hot rolls, make the icing very thick; it will melt all over. The cooler the rolls, the thinner your icing can start out. You may want to spread icing on one roll and watch it for a few minutes to decide whether or not to add more milk.

These are, of course, best eaten warm. Microwaving a cool roll for just a few seconds works wonders.

Make-ahead tips:
The rolls pictured here were mixed, risen, spread, and cut one night then put in the fridge. In the morning I warmed the oven SLIGHTLY, put a Pyrex of boiling water on the floor, and let the rolls rise in there. Then I baked one pan at a time.

My mom and I have had success baking the rolls ahead and then freezing them (uniced and out of the pan) wrapped in plastic and foil. When ready to serve, just put in pans, thaw (overnight at room temperature), warm in the oven (covered with foil), and glaze.

I think they are best freshly baked, so for Christmas2008 I am going to try freezing the raw sliced rolls, thawing them in the fridge, and baking in the morning. I'll update the recipe with my success or failure.

Bon Appetit!

Creamy Clam Chowder

2008-09-28T17:44:00.000-04:00

This recipe is adapted from one in Sunset's Favorite Recipes II. Yield: 4 quarts

butter, approximately 2 Tbsp
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
4 cups potato cubes (1/2" dice, thin-skinned potatoes--NOT baking potatoes)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
4 cans (6 1/2 oz. each) chopped or minced clams
2 (12 oz. each) bottles clam juice
4 cups whole milk
3 Tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
more chopped parsley for garnish

Melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens. Add celery and cook for a few more minutes.
Drain clams, pouring liquid into a four cup measure. Add enough clam juice to total four cups. (Reserve clams for later.)
Add clam juice, potatoes, and parsley to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender but not mushy, 20-30 minutes.
Whisk cornstarch into milk and add to soup. Add clams. Bring to a simmer (stir frequently) and let it bubble several minutes, until slightly thickened.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Serve with grated cheese and/or bacon bits if desired.

Notes:

I think this could have used less milk and possibly more potatoes.
I'm probably more generous with onion and celery than the recipe calls for.
I really don't notice a thickening due to the cornstarch, but have always added it per the original recipe.

Plum Crisp

2008-09-23T13:32:00.001-04:00

I'm still buying big boxes of Italian plums, but we can eat only so much kuchen. Next on the agenda: plum crisp.

I adapted the filling from a recipe on epicurious, and covered it with my favorite crisp topping.

Topping:

3/4 cup butter

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 1/2 cups flour

Melt butter. Add remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and spread in 9 x 13" pan. Bake at 350* until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes (~30 min. total). Set aside (it will crisp as it cools).

Filling:

3 pounds Italian prune plums (~44)

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

4 tsp cornstarch

Halve and pit plums. Cut into 8 chunks each.
In a large skillet cook plums and sugar over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is melted.
Combine water and cornstarch in small bowl or mixing cup. Stir into plum mixture and simmer, stirring, until liquid clears and thickens.
Pour into 9 x 13" pan and bake about 30 minutes at 350*.
Remove from oven. When mixture stops bubbling (or later), sprinkle with topping. Serve warm or cold.

Below is the filling shortly after removal from the oven:And here is the completed crisp:Okay, I can hear the complaining already: "Why should I bother to cook the topping separately? What a hassle! Why is she so picky? I always top the fruit before baking." Well, friends, I made my first batch the old way, and this is what it looked like:

Not so pretty, huh? As the fruit cooked, it bubbled all over the topping. Most of it was gooey and chewy rather than crisp and light. (It didn't help that I made too much topping in the first place.) Cooking the streusel separately is well worth it, and isn't much extra effort. It can even be done (in its own pan) at the same time the fruit is cooking. Opening the oven to stir isn't a problem.

Additional notes:

You can add 1-3 tsp cinnamon to the topping.
I made this twice, and had 43 and 44 plums in 3 pounds. Your plums' sizes may vary, so weight is a more reliable measure. If I make this again soon I'll try to remember to record the volume (in cups) of cut fruit.
If there is more topping than you care for, don't sprinkle it all on the plums. Keep the extra in a container (mine is in the fridge) to sprinkle on ice cream or applesauce or whatever. It's hard to go wrong with brown sugar and butter...
UPDATED 9/26: We (Joe and Marianna helped) made another today and had 8 cups of cut fruit.
Another lesson learned the hard way: If you're going to take this to a friend's house, wait to put the topping on when you get there so the jiggling in the car doesn't make it sink. Waah...

Oma's Plum Kuchen

2008-09-02T22:20:00.001-04:00

When those Italian plums (prune plums) show up in the grocery store in late summer, I always think of Oma. She had a dough recipe that she used for making sticky buns, pineapple rolls, and most importantly, plum kuchen (koo-ken). She was a loving grandmother and a great cook, and was so generous with her time and talent. (Among other things, she made me some special birthday cakes and gave me the cake decorating bug.)

I hardly ever buy the plums or try to bake with them myself, but this year I went crazy and bought a five pound box at Costco! Let me tell you, that is A LOT of little plums! I came home and almost desperately prepared a batch of kuchen. Yum! I finished the box a few days later with another 1/2 batch, which is documented below. I've adapted it a bit, as is my usual practice (can't leave well enough alone...). Enjoy.

By the way, there are many kinds of kuchen. This one is essentially bread and fruit, and is only lightly sweetened. I think some are much sweeter and cakier in texture, but this is the kuchen I've always known and loved.

Kuchen
2 cups milk
2 pkgs yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
2 Tbsp instant potato
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
6-7 cups flour
1 egg
Italian plums (40-50)
cinnamon sugar

Heat milk to 105-115* and pour some into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add instant potato and yeast and stir to dissolve.
Add butter to the remaining milk and heat just enough to melt the butter. Add sugar and salt, stir, and set aside to cool slightly.
Add some flour to the yeast mixture and mix on low speed. Add egg and some more flour and continue mixing. Gradually add the warm milk/butter mixture and continue mixing. Continue adding flour in small amounts (speed 2 on Kitchen Aid) until the dough is smooth and leaves the sides of the bowl. Let it continue mixing for 2 more minutes.
Turn dough out and lightly oil the mixing bowl. Form the dough into a ball and put it back into the bowl, turning it over so all surfaces are greased. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size (40-80 minutes). Punch down dough and let it rise 2 more times.
Punch down the dough a final time, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Let it rest while you grease your pans. Roll out the dough (it will be thin) and place in pans.
Sprinkle dough with cinnamon sugar, cover with plum halves (skin side down), and sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar. Let rise again, then bake at 350* for 25 minutes. Best eaten warm!
Yield: 7 round cake pans or 2 (~11 x 17") jelly roll pans/baking sheets with sides

Notes:

Most of the dough ingredients can be added in any order. Just don't add the salt to the initial yeast mixture, and don't add the hot milk/butter until there are enough other ingredients to stop that heat from overwhelming and killing the yeast.
Quicker rising: Boil water in the microwave (in a Pyrex measuring cup). Leave the cup of water in there and put in the mixing bowl of dough. It's now in a very warm, humid environment.
The second and third rises are much quicker than the first. Be ready.
The dough may have to rest now and then during rolling out. You'll know because it will keep pulling back and resisting your stretching. Leave it for a few minutes until it is cooperative again.
The first time, I misread the recipe and baked the kuchen at 375* for 20 minutes. It was just as good.
Oma's recipe said the dough would be less than 1/2", but I was nervous because it was MUCH thinner. This picture doesn't do it justice--I'll bet it was below 1/4".

Here's a picture of a panful of dough and fruit. The fruit looks HUGE on the thin layer of dough--don't worry! All will be well. (The white stuff in the lower left corner is sparkle sugar I added. Don't bother--most of it melted, and what remained wasn't worth the effort.)

Below is the unrisen dough with raw plums on it. Notice how much of the pan sides you can see.

See the puffiness now just before going into the oven.

And the extra rise from baking. Don't the plums look luscious now?

Kuchen is best eaten warm from the oven. It is also excellent the next day for breakfast (wrap tightly), IF you microwave it for a few seconds to freshen it up.

Thanks, Oma, for all the love.

Indian Cheese and Nut Dessert Balls

2008-09-02T15:18:00.000-04:00

This recipe comes from Sundays at Moosewoood Restaurant, page 320.

1 1/2 cups chenna
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 tsp grated orange rind
2-4 tsp orange juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds or pistachios (we needed LESS)
optional garnish: mandarin oranges

Place the chenna in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients, except the nuts and orange sections. Mash until smooth with a spoon or your fingers. Form the mixture into a dozen or so walnut-sized balls (We made them smaller.) and roll each ball in the chopped nuts to coat. Chill until ready to serve.

If you've used freshly made chenna, these dessert balls will keep for 3 or 4 days if tightly wrapped and refrigerated.

Chenna (Indian Cheese)

2008-09-02T15:13:00.000-04:00

This is from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant, page 297. It can be used in savory dishes or desserts.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

2 quarts whole milk
3-4 Tbsp strained, fresh lemon juice

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the milk to a rolling boil, stirring often to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 Tbsp of lemon juice. Return the pan to low heat and stir gently until white curds separate from the yellowish whey. If this doesn't happen within 15 or 20 seconds, add an additional Tbsp of lemon juice.

Pour the curds into a strainer or colander lined with a piece of thin, damp cloth or several thicknesses of cheese cloth. Let it drain until cool enough to handle, then gather up the cloth and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Now you have chenna.

Chapatis

2008-09-02T15:06:00.000-04:00

This recipe is adapted from Bread: 150 Traditional Recipes from Around the World, page 169.

2 cups chapati flour (We use King Arthur's white whole wheat, which I can find at some grocery stores.)
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water

Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the center and gradually mix in the water. Check the consistency when you have added about 1/2 cup and add the remainder, as needed, by the Tbsp. The flour shold absorb all the water and it should be possible to knead it to a smooth and elastic dough without the addition of any further flour. Knead the dough on a floured work surface for 5-10 minutes (or use stand mixer). Cover with wet cloth or plastic wrap and let stand at least 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 small balls. Dust each one with flour and roll them out very thinly into rounds about 10 inches in diameter.
Cook on ungreased griddle or frying pan. Optional: brush with a little oil.

Kheera-Tamatar Raita/Yogurt with Cucumber and Tomato

2008-09-02T15:02:00.000-04:00

This is adapted from Cooking the Indian Way, page 41.

1 medium tomato
1 medium cucumber, peeled
2 cups plain yogurt (preferably not non-fat)
1 small onion (Vidalia is best), finely chopped
3 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) or parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Cut tomato in half and remove seeds. Chop into small pieces. Chop cucumber into small pieces (optional: remove seeds first by cutting lengthwise and scraping them out with a spoon). Combine all ingredients. Chill at least one hour before serving.

Aloo Mattar/Potatoes and Peas

2008-09-02T14:50:00.000-04:00

This is adapted from Cooking the Indian Way, page 33.

2 Tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups water
1 10 oz package frozen peas, thawed

Saute ginger, garlic, onion, and salt in oil about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is brown and fragrant. Add potatoes and water and stir to combine. Cover skillet, lower heat, and simmer about 20 minutes (We cooked less--maybe our potatoes were cut smaller.) or until potatoes are almost tender. Add peas and simmer 2 or 3 minutes or until peas are heated through.Notes:
Use all purpose potatoes, NOT Russett (baking) potatoes.
You may substitute a 17 oz can of green peas, drained, for the frozen peas.

Interesting Ingredients--Ginger Made Easy

2008-09-02T14:37:00.000-04:00

Grated fresh ginger is listed in a few recipes on this site. I for one don't want to run to the store to buy a big knob of ginger every time I need it. Nor do I want to keep some on hand waiting to spoil in between uses. So here's what I do instead:

Buy a nice piece of ginger and peel it.Cut it into chunksand whirl in the food processor until minced.Form into a log on plastic wrap, roll it up, and put in a freezer bag.Store in the freezer. When I want grated ginger, I just unwrap the log and shave some off with a sharp knife or cleaver. Sometimes I let it thaw a bit to make the shaving easier. A log of ginger lasts through MANY uses.

EASY!

Kabab Masala/Ground Lamb Kebabs

2008-09-02T14:31:00.000-04:00

This is adapted from Cooking the Indian Way, page 25.

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb or beef
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
1 Tbsp plain yogurt
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients. Let stand at least 30 minutes. Form into small patties and cook on the grill (or fry or broil).The original recipe suggested greasing skewers with melted butter, forming kebabs with wet hands, and broiling the meat.

Scones

2008-07-09T23:26:00.001-04:00

I make really good scones. At least they're popular here at our house! I know two people who make them better than I do (my sister K and her mother-in-law), but they live far enough away to not be any real competition. ;-)

Anyway, scones are a lot like biscuits, but richer with butter (vs. shortening), egg, and milk or cream (instead of leaner buttermilk). Mix and roll gently, bake in a hot oven, and enjoy! They are traditionally served (with or without currants inside) with cream and jam, but we like them here sprinkled with sugar before baking or spread with a glaze when cool (and then served plain).
Here's the basic form of the recipe, adapted from Bride's Lifetime Guide to Good Food & Entertaining. There are plenty of notes and variations following.

Scones
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter
2/3 cup milk or cream
1 egg

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Combine milk and egg; add to dry mixture. Stir together gently then turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead gently 8-10 times. Transfer to lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet (without sides) and roll out to a circle about 1/2" thick. Cut with a floured knife (straight down!) into 8 wedges. Bake at 450* for 12-15 minutes, until deep golden brown. Slide off baking sheet and cool on rack.

Notes:

I use a food processor for part of the mixing. I blend the dry ingredients, then add the butter in chunks. Pulse, being careful not to make the butter pieces too fine. Turn out into a bowl and proceed with the recipe.
It may seem like a waste to dirty the food processor for just those two steps, BUT I make many batches at once. If I need scones, I'll mix 3-6 batches of dry plus butter. I'll bake one or two batches and put the rest in pint-sized freezer bags that I store in the fridge. That saves a lot of measuring and mess the next several times.
The dough can be sticky. I find myself sprinkling on plenty of flour as I knead. It's good to add a little less than the 2/3 cup milk.
Knead GENTLY! Just fold the dough in half and pat out until it's big enough to fold again. I sprinkle on more flour as needed, and sometimes flip it over on the re-floured surface.
You can knead on a board or counter, but my favorite surface is freezer paper taped to the counter. It is sturdy, has a slippery coating, and makes clean up easier.
I rarely make one circle of dough cut into eight. We prefer medium sized scones, so I cut the dough in half before transferring to the baking sheet. The resulting smaller circles are cut into 6 pieces each (see above picture).
Cut straight up and down with the knife rather than pulling it through the dough. This keeps the seams from being pulled and lets the dough rise higher in the oven.
Another make ahead tip: I have mixed, kneaded, rolled, and cut the dough before freezing it on the parchment lined baking sheets (covered with plastic wrap). Thaw (I think I did it in the fridge.) and bake--as fresh as fresh!
Before baking, the scones can be brushed with cream or milk and sprinkled with sugar. I like to use big, sparkling sugar (see bottom photo).
Our favorite variations: add 1/2 cup currants or chopped tart, dried cherries. Or add zest of one lemon and a few Tbsp of poppy seeds.
When the scones are cool, un-sugared ones can be spread with a thick glaze made with powdered sugar and cream. The lemon scones are iced with powdered sugar and lemon juice.
Scones also make a good base for shortcake. Make the big circle of eight. Split each scone and top with fruit and whipped cream. Below are photos of our patriotic Independence Day dessert: red, white, and blue shortcake.

Chocolate Cake with French Buttercream

2008-06-29T19:21:00.000-04:00

Here is Lauren's graduation cake. It's two 9" x 13" rectangles with a 9" round (I just happened to have in the freezer) on top.

I got this recipe from Len's mom, but it is very close to the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa box. It's dark and moist.

Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
3/4 - 1 cup cocoa, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix dry ingredients. Add eggs and oil and beat until thoroughly combined. Add boiling water and beat at medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla; batter will be very thin.
Pour into greased and floured 9" x 13" pan. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes, then flip out onto cooling rack. Flip again to put the top up.

Notes:

To make 24 cupcakes, scoop scant 1/3 cup batter into each paper lined cup. Bake 15-20 minutes.
As I made 4 batches this weekend, I realized what a great cake mix this is. Next time you're making it, fill one or more bags with additional dry ingredients, and you'll save a lot of time (and mess) when baking your next cake!

The icing: I adapted this recipe from one in a Wilton wedding cake book. It's rich rather than super-sweet, and soft rather than stiff. I had to tweak and tweak to get the saltiness right (none made it too bland), which is why there are two kinds of butter.

French Buttercream (makes about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk (any fat level)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) regular butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place sugar, flour, and salt in saucepan and mix thoroughly; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat and stir constantly (I use a whisk.) until bubbling and very thick. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature.
Turn mixer to low speed and add butter in chunks (about 1 Tbsp each). Add vanilla and beat at medium-high speed until smooth. You'll have to beat for a long time; it will look curdled and you'll think it's never going to get smooth.
Chill icing for a few minutes before decorating (I spread it at room temp.). Iced cake must be refrigerated until a few hours before serving time.

Notes:

Even when the icing looks smooth there may be small bits of butter in it. You can't tell by looking, so put a little sample on your tongue to feel for creaminess.
This icing is ivory rather than white. It does not take food coloring well (curdles/streaks), so I use a powdered sugar icing for decorating.
This icing is also very soft at room temperature; it's mostly butter. It's hard to keep a well defined shape when decorating because of the heat of your hand, so I use it for dots or lines rather than shells.
Because it's mostly butter, the icing is firm at refrigerator temperature. This is handy for covering--just chill for a little while and then the cake can be covered with plastic wrap without muss. You must take the cake out of the fridge about two hours before serving or you'll think you're eating butter rather than buttercream.
Leftover icing can be frozen. Transfer to the fridge before using. Either add with the butter into a new batch or just rebeat your leftover by itself. It will curdle even worse than a fresh batch, but will eventually be fluffy and smooth. All that rebeating will make it pretty warm, too.

Decorating notes:

The graduate silhouette is made from store-bought fondant (white). I kneaded in food coloring (wearing gloves!), then rolled it out and cut with a sharp knife. I found the pattern online, printed it, traced onto waxed paper, and cut it out before laying on the fondant. The fondant is easy to work with, and edible, if not actually tasty. The children called it edible play-dough.

The squiggles are called "Cornelli Lace". I think this is the first time I've used a monochromatic scheme--usually it's pink over yellow or blue over white, etc. I used a relatively large (#5) round tip for this cake. Just pipe strings of icing, wiggling up, down, and around. Make sure the strings never touch or cross each other. Simple but slow. Since this is done with the French buttercream, warming was a potential problem. I tried to keep just a small amount of icing in the bag so I could frequently add cooler blobs.

The blue icing used for writing and the shell border was ordinary powdered sugar frosting.

Tools of the Trade: Cherry Pitters

2008-06-18T22:55:00.000-04:00

For pitting soft cherries like the sour ones on our tree I use this heirloom tool made by Opa with, yes, a hairpin. I insert the metal loop in the dimple where the cherry stem used to be. I push it down alongside the pit, and pull the pit back out the top. It's a simple, neat solution.
If you don't have a tool-making grandfather available, just unfold a large paperclip. The narrower end is just right for the pits in our small fruit.

For firm cherries (think Bing), the pit is pushed out. The cherry (or olive) rests in the bowl at the bottom, dimple side up.

Squeeze the handle and the post pushes the pit right out through the bottom of the cherry. It is SO easy, the fruit stays in great shape, and nothing is left clinging to the pit.

I am not generally a fan of one-trick kitchen gadgets (banana tree, garlic holder, mushroom brush), but this tool was I gift I still love and make room for. Fresh cherries have a short season, and for most of us it's no big deal to eat them and spit out the pits. But what about cherries for your toddler? Or would you ever bother putting cherries in fruit salad or serving them at a party? I've done both. Besides, it's really fun to pop out those pits. Everyone wants a turn. ;-)

I was just looking for this pitter online, and found one that even has a splash guard! Mine is unguarded, so I do hold it down in the sink or a bowl when pitting, because there is much splashing of potentially staining juice.

Moosewood Fudge Brownies

2008-06-18T22:15:00.007-04:00

These are currently my favorite brownies. They are fudgy rather than cakey, and are still moist the next day (if any are left). They are intensely chocolate compared to the ones I used to make with cocoa or any made with a mix. Two other pluses: QUICK and EASY.

The recipe was first published in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook (1977). I'm using the version from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts (by the Moosewood Collective, 1997).

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour

Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla.
Stir in the eggs until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Add flour. Stir or fold in with spatula just until combined.
Spread in greased 8" x 8" pan and bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted halfway towards the center no longer comes out gooey. It may have moist crumbs attached. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Notes:

I use regular (not unsalted) butter because there is no salt in the recipe.
This is of course easy to double. Spread into a 9" x 13" pan.
Don't use a 9" square pan; an 8" square is much closer to half a 9" x 13".
It's no mistake--there is no leavening (baking powder). That's one reason they're not cakey.
These are yummy as is, but my children prefer them sprinkled with SEMISWEET mini m &m's, which I am now having trouble finding in the grocery store.
I like them sprinkled with nuts, although the amount shown above is a bit too much (big chunks). I do think it's better to put the nuts on top so nut-phobes can avoid them and so they get a bit toasty (and thus more flavorful) during baking.
The recipe suggests adding instant coffee (which I haven't tried) or cinnamon. I used 1/2 tsp of high quality cinnamon last time, but couldn't taste it. It must take a lot to compete with all that chocolate!
Did you notice that only one bowl gets dirty?
There is no need to adjust the temperature for glass vs. metal pans. I lowered the temp for a glass pan a few batches ago, and they took FOREVER to bake.

UPDATE (April 2010): For a Mexican/Aztec style brownie, add some heat and sweet spiciness. Today I made the recipe above, but included 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper (smoky and warm) and 2 tsp cinnamon (even better than the China Cassia linked to above). Delicious! I consider this an adult (sophisticated) flavor, but some of the children who tasted samples also enjoyed it.

Tea Party Tips

2008-06-06T21:55:00.001-04:00

I recently hostessed a tea party for eight little girls, so I thought I'd share some helpful ideas for planning and preparation.

Afternoon tea can have up to three courses: savory (in our case, sandwiches), scones, and sweets/pastries. My assistant (Thank you, Lauren!) and I made 4 types of sandwich and preplated them for our guests. We had some extra on platters to pass for second helpings. These were made ahead, but not until the morning of our tea.

For the sandwiches we used Pepperidge Farm very thin white sandwich bread. I thought about making bread in my special Pampered Chef flower- and heart-shaped bread tube pans, then decided that was over the top (even for me). So Lauren made peanut butter sandwiches, which were popular enough for us to make more during the party. Although you wouldn't make those for a grown-up tea, cucumber sandwiches are required. I peeled and sliced the cucumbers very thin. A little mayo, salt, and pepper went on the bread (every piece) before stacking the slices. These were wrapped and refrigerated until serving time. The pb s'wiches were wrapped and left at room temperature. Crusts were cut off after assembly, but I suppose you could do that first as well.

We used burrito sized tortillas to make the wraps. I've never built these before, so it may not have been done in the most efficient way. I cut the roundness off the tortillas, and then Lauren filled them. The first were spread lightly with Ranch dressing and then layered with turkey, provolone, and tiny diced (and deseeded and spun dry) tomatoes. We rolled and then cut each wrap into 4 sections; they looked prettiest on their sides. Important discovery: there's no need to fill your wrap to the very end, as some filling tends to get pushed to (or out of!) the end. Then ham and American cheese were simpler to assemble. A bit pedestrian, I think, but they worked well for our audience. Some girls had several. (I also facilitated some sandwich trading--not proper manners, perhaps, but I do hate to waste food.) I have my scone recipe and technique down to a science. My innovation for this event was to mix, knead, roll, and cut the dough a week ahead. I froze it on its parchment-paper-covered baking sheet, then thawed and baked it on party day. Fresh and easy!
This course was preplated like the others. We served each scone with strawberry jam (Smucker's makes a great low sugar one with no artificial sweetener.) and whipped unsweetened cream (almost butter...).
After a break, the girls were ready for dessert. A friend made the chocolate covered strawberries. We cut the other pastries into small, interesting shapes. A fancier option would be to make things that were already small, like tarts or shaped cookies.I had fun with the birthday cake. I baked a 6" sour cream butter cake (and cupcakes with the leftover batter) at least a week ahead. I sliced it into three layers using unwaxed dental floss. The floss is wrapped around the cake then crossed. Check the placement and pull both ends; like magic the floss meets itself inside and cuts an even layer.

I filled the layers with chocolate ganache. This is so simple to make: heat heavy whipping cream in the microwave until it bubbles, then add an equal amount of chocolate. I usually use Nestle chocolate chips, but better chocolate would be even tastier. (Another tip: to make bittersweet, mix 3 parts semisweet with 1 part unsweetened chocolate, e.g. 1/2 cup chocolate chips plus 1 oz. unsweetened.) Cool until spreadable. Ganache can be stored for a long time in the fridge or freezer if you can keep yourself from sucking a spoonful every afternoon.

I frosted the cake with French buttercream, then chilled it. Next I wrapped it in plastic and froze it (in a container) until the night before the party, when I put it back in the fridge. It sat at room temp for a few hours so the icing could soften. Then I decorated it simply with frosted roses that I've had on hand for too long.We have a climbing rose that grows tiny blooms. Now and then (every few years?) I'll pick some to frost. I lightly whip an egg white with a fork, just until it is frothy. Then I brush the petals with the egg and sprinkle generously (over a bowl) with superfine sugar. I set them to dry on waxed paper. The paper is on a cooling rack and has holes poked in it for the flower stems to rest in. After drying, the flowers last a long time, although the color fades. These are 2 or 3 years old! The sugaring process works for other flowers, too. It's easy to look up which are edible. I use only home grown, though, so I am sure there are no pesticides. The roses are edible but not tasty; at least on party guest ate hers. :-)For the tea itself, I heated water on the stove and then brewed DECAF in china pots at the last minute. It stayed hot long enough. By the time we needed more heat it was time to make more tea anyway. Tea was served with sugar cubes, cream, and lemon wedges.

As the guests arrived they decorated gingerbread cookies to take home. These were of course baked ahead; I find they can last many days at room temperature. They probably could have been frozen, although I would worry about the stacks getting stuck together. I set up the island ahead of time with cookies, waxed paper work stations, icing, and sprinkles.

Placecards were made of large, unmarked index cards. I hot-glued silk flowers on and Marianna wrote the names.

The cookies were to be taken home in cute buckets, so we lined them with matching tissue and tied on labels (also index cards with silk flowers).

Here's an idea of how to schedule tasks for a nice party. I didn't follow this plan exactly, but it's my best advice:

Far in advance:

Send invitations.
Select menu.
Hire a helper for the morning of party day and at least part of the service time. You may want a helper for clean up time as well, especially if you hand wash your china, crystal, and silver.
Bake cake, ice, and freeze.
Bake and freeze other pastries.
Bake or buy sandwich bread and freeze.
Mix and roll scone dough; freeze.
Gather/borrow equipment (sugar tongs, extra teapot) and food (sprinkles, sugar cubes) that is pantry stable but not on hand yet.
Prep placecards or party favors.

Up to a few days ahead: buy food and flowers.

The day before:

Thaw anything that's frozen. Most bready foods thaw and store best at room temp.
Set the table, or at least gather linens, china, crystal, etc.
Bake/prep any desserts or pastries that weren't freezable.

The day of:

Dress up and wear your apron. You aren't likely to have time to change at the last minute.
Make sandwiches and wraps.
Bake scones.
Color icing and set up cookie stations.
Set up other activities (napkin folding,etc.).
Set table.
Wash and wedge lemons.
Cut/set out pastries.
Decorate cake, if needed.

At the last minute:

Set out sandwich course.
Brew tea.
Set out sugar, cream, and lemon wedges.
Pour cold water.
Whip cream.
Smile!
Prepare for lots of tidying and washing up. ;-)

Gingerbread Cookies

2008-05-26T22:10:00.000-04:00

Gingerbread cookies are our one must-have at Christmas. They are dark and spicy and not too sweet. We decorate them with store-bought icing, sprinkles, and colored sugar. As the icing hardens it helps keep the cookies soft.

Logistically, these are practical cookies. I can make the dough and refrigerate or freeze it (pre-rolled). Later I cut and bake, then store at room temperature. Finally we set up for a decorating extravaganza.

Some of these pictures are from Marianna's May 2008 birthday party. The rest are from Christmas 2004.

Gingerbread Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 generous cup molasses

4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger

1/2 tsp mace (optional)

1/2 tsp crushed anise seed (optional)

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Blend in molasses. Gradually add dry ingredients. Flatten into 2 rounds and chill one hour or more. Roll to 1/4" or a bit thinner. Cut into shapes. Bake on greased baking sheets (or use parchment paper) at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Cool on pan about 1 minute, then transfer to cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen.

Notes:

After mixing the dough, I roll it between layers of heavy duty plastic wrap (freeze-tite), then chill on a baking sheet.

For cutting out, I tape lightly floured freezer paper (shiny side up) to the island, OR I cut right on the plastic wrap.

Scraps are rerolled in the plastic wrap. I put the rerolled dough in the fridge while I'm cutting another piece. If time is short I'll even put dough in the freezer.
Baking time depends on dough thickness. Cookies could take up to 10 minutes, but not for me. If they're a little overbaked, the icing can soften them up, but there is a point of crispiness that can't be undone.
One can of ready-to-spread frosting is enough for one batch of dough. At Christmas I make a double batch so we all have plenty to decorate.
Duncan Hines classic vanilla (NOT whipped) icing is whiter than Pillsbury icing. I don't know how it compares to other brands.
I use the high quality gels for coloring the icing. It is hard to make a Christmasy red; just do your best.
I put the icing in pint size freezer bags and snip a hole in the corner of the bag. A plastic spatula comes in handy for occasionally squeezing icing back towards the corner.
Sometimes I put the white icing in a real decorating bag with a writing tip. This makes for more attractive snowflakes and Santa beard/hair/trim. I used freezer bags on the cookies pictured above, and don't think they look as good as others I've made.
The children decorate for as long as they are having fun, and then I finish up, usually in an assembly line style.

Tools of the Trade: Dutch oven

2008-05-11T21:55:00.000-04:00

This Christmas I asked for and received a 6 1/2 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven. I had a smaller one (without enamel) that I didn't use, but this one would be a different story. And it is!

I wanted this pot so I could bake easy, crusty bread. There's been a lot of hoopla about this kind of bread, first in the NY Times, and more recently in Cook's Illustrated. I had to tweak the recipe (the bottom kept burning), but it is now turning out reliably well. The pot and lid are important because they are preheated. The risen dough is added and covered, then baked for 30 minutes. The heat and steam inside create the thick, chewy crust. The bread is then uncovered and baked for another 20 + minutes.

This is one big, heavy bread pan though, so I'm multi-tasking with it now. The wide base, tall sides, and heat retention make it great for browning meat. Below are some chunks of pork shoulder that I browned before simmering in the crock pot. I'll post the procedure later; the shredded meat is good for BBQ, burrito filling, or even fried rice.

This winter I've been tweaking a beef stew recipe, and my new pot has improved the outcome. The same issue of Cook's Illustrated (Jan/Feb 2008) that had the bread recipe and Dutch oven recommendation also had a feature called "Mastering the Art of Stew". The biggest revelation for me was the idea of simmering in the oven. At 300-325 degrees, the food cooks gently without scorching on the bottom. I can brown the onions and meat on top of the stove, add liquid, simmer in the oven until the meat is tender, add other veggies, and continue in the oven until they are tender as well. I've heated chili in the oven, too.

I am thrilled with my heavy green pot, which, by the way, also looks beautiful on the table. Yes, I know I am easily amused. ;-)

Thank You, Anne

2008-04-25T19:34:00.001-04:00

There's something going on with our computer at home. We can't watch Youtube, and I can't post any videos on my blogs. Well here I am in breezy Michigan, and Anne has lent me her access. Now if you want to hear this blog's namesake, just click on the post below or the link I made on the sidebar. Yeah!

Come to the Table by Michael Card

2008-04-25T19:29:00.000-04:00

Honey-Mustard Marinade

2008-04-17T22:15:00.000-04:00

Adapted from The Washington Post (article by Candy Sagon).

1 cup mustard (yellow, Dijon, whatever)
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/2 tsp thyme, fresh or dried
pepper

Combine all ingredients. This makes enough for up to 3 pounds of chicken.

Asian (hoisin) marinade

2008-04-17T22:12:00.000-04:00

Adapted from Good Food Gourmet by Jane Brody.

3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce or sweet bean paste or combination
1/2 cup sherry
1/4 cup sugar
12 large cloves garlic, crushed
1-4 tsp (know your audience!) crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp oil

Combine all ingredients. Makes about 2 cups, enough for 2-3 pounds of chicken.

Indian Yogurt Marinade

2008-04-17T22:05:00.000-04:00

Adapted from Good Food Gourmet by Jane Brody.

1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup finely minced onion
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp grated gingerroot
lime zest and pulp

Combine all ingredients. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Notes:

I usually make a 1 1/2 or double batch for 2-3 pounds of chicken.
Easy gingerroot: Peel a knob of root. Cut into chunks and whirl in the food processor. Form into a log on plastic wrap, roll it up, and put in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer. When you need grated ginger, just unwrap and shave some off with a sharp knife (thaw partially first if you must).
Garam masala is an Indian spice blend. I mix my own based on proportions by Jane Brody: 1 tsp each cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander, plus 1/2 tsp each cloves adn black pepper.

Asian (soy-orange) Marinade

2008-04-17T21:58:00.000-04:00

Adapted from Good Food Gourmet by Jane Brody

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp grated fresh gingerroot
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp sesame oil
grated orange zest

Combine all ingredients. Makes about 1 1/8 cups.

Notes:

I usually make a double batch for 2-3 pounds of boneless chicken.
Fresh orange juice is not necessary.
The zest of one orange is enough for a double batch.
Easy gingerroot: Peel a knob of root. Cut into chunks and whirl in the food processor. Form into a log on plastic wrap, roll it up, and put in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer. When you need grated ginger, just unwrap and shave some off with a sharp knife (thaw partially first if you must).

Summer Salad

2008-04-12T08:05:00.001-04:00

It's a little early for a summer salad, but this week's post about my salad spinner (with recipe) got me thinking about the summertime version:

I use the romaine lettuce, but increase the amount of diced tomatoes. This started as a tomato salad that lettuce was added to, so use as much as you like, especially if you've got garden fresh tomatoes. Add shredded mozzarella, slivered fresh basil, and a good vinaigrette. Good Seasons made with balsamic or red wine vinegar is simple and tasty. YUM!

Tools of the Trade: Salad Spinner

2008-04-10T18:37:00.001-04:00

I love my salad spinner! I finally wore out the first one, and this second generation Swiss model is even better. It has a cool pull-cord that the children clamor to use, and the salad can even be served from or stored in the bowl with its flat lid.

Spinning water off lettuce dries it well enough for the dressing to cling nicely.

Our new favorite salad goes like this (serves 8-10):
Cut 1 1/2 to 2 heads of romaine length-wise from stem to tip. Turn 90 degrees and cut again. Chop the lettuce cross-wise into a clean sink of cold water (see notes below). Swish and spin. Put in a bowl big enough for tossing.
Cut 3-4 large plum tomatoes (or whatever) in half, then dice. Put these into the salad spinner and "rough them up" with your hand to loosen the seeds and liquid. Spin these and add to the salad bowl.
Look how much liquid came out of those tomatoes! Add diced cucumber (up to 1 English) and croutons. Pour on your favorite dressing and toss. Serve right away. (By the way, the above salad was tossed in a larger bowl and transferred for serving.)

Notes:

As I said, this is our new favorite. We can eat it up to 4 times a week and not get tired of it. We're at the stage of buying Costco-sized packages every couple of weeks: 6 heads of romaine (occasionally 12), 2 boxes (8 each) of tomatoes, 3-packs of English cucumbers, and 2 POUNDS of croutons (these last a month or more)!
Our favorite dressing is actually Good Seasons Italian. I'm not going to look up the article right now, but when Cook's Illustrated (VERY picky) taste-tested commercial dressings, Good Seasons came out on top.
If there's not time to clear and clean a sink, I will swish the lettuce in a big bowl of cold water. The bowl just gets rinsed and dried (not washed), so it's not really extra work.
Do your best to make the right amount of salad. Once it is dressed, quality begins to decrease. I've eaten leftovers for breakfast, but it's not the best.
I can make this mostly ahead, adding the croutons and dressing at the last minute.
Another little grace note: pre-dressed salad can go right on the dinner plate. Until recently we had to set out bowls, and no one ate as much salad per meal as now.

Charoseth

2008-03-18T22:42:00.001-04:00

This chopped apple salad is used at our Passover Seder to symbolize the mortar and bricks the Israelites were forced to make as slaves in Egypt. It is good year-round with any roasted meat or poultry. The amounts are flexible--mix, taste, and adjust. (The amount of honey depends on the sweet/tartness of the apples.) I don't think I would make this without my food processor.

Charoseth
1 cup raisins
1 2/3 cups walnuts
3# firm, crisp apples (about 6 medium)
1 Tbsp cinnamon
honey, to taste

Process raisins until they form a single mass. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Process nuts until ground (medium texture). Add to the mixing bowl.
Quarter apples and cut out cores (do not peel). Grate with the french fry attachment or other grating disc. Add to the raisins and nuts.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey. Mix with your hands (those raisins need help de-clumping). You'll now want an assistant to add more cinnamon or honey if needed.
Transfer to an attractive bowl and refrigerate, covered, until serving time. Leftovers will keep for a day or two in a tightly covered plastic container. The cinnamon disguises any browning of the apples.

Roasted Leg of Lamb

2008-03-18T21:27:00.000-04:00

Okay, it doesn't look like much here, but this delicious lamb is part of our yearly Christianized Passover celebration. Although the recipe calls for a bone-in leg, I have the butcher remove it to make that long, festive meal just a little bit easier.

Roasted Leg of Lamb
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
5-6 pounds bone-in leg of lamb

Trim lamb of the thin membrane (fell) and ALL fat.
Blend remaining ingredients together in a small bowl.
Evenly coat surface of lamb. Loosely cover and return to refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Insert a meat thermometer, and place lamb in a preheated 450*F oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 325*F.
Roast until internal temperature reaches 160*F (for medium), about 20 minutes per pound. Transfer to a warm platter and loosely cover with foil. Allow to stand 15 minutes for easier carving.
Slice into thin slices and spoon pan juices over slices. Garnish with rosemary leaves or fresh herbs.

Notes:

As I wrote, I usually have the butcher remove the bone for me. I try to get a leg that is 7-8# (with the bone).
During trimming of a deboned leg, sometimes the muscles separate. The roast pictured above is held together with three lengths of string. Actually, I keep unwaxed dental floss in the kitchen for this task. Separated meat means more areas to cover with marinade, anyway.
For this year's ~7.3# leg, I made a 1 1/2 batch of marinade. It was just the right amount, except I should not have increased the salt.
I marinate the meat on the rack in the pan OR wrapped in heavy plastic wrap (for longer).
I never end up with pan juices, so I line my roasting pan with heavy duty foil to ease cleanup.
If you're roasting this for Seder, try to time it so the lamb is done a little before dinner (rather than when you intend to start your ceremony).
This recipe is adapted from one in a Giant Food sales circular, ~2001.

Better Butter

2008-02-28T16:01:00.000-05:00

This recipe is from my friend Anne. She thinks she got it from Mollie Katzen, but I haven't seen it the cookbooks of hers that I've read. CORRECTION (4/09): Anne remembers now that the recipe was from Laurel Robertson, of Laurel's Kitchen cookbook fame.

Butter is about 80% fat. The rest is water, salt, and some milk solids. "Better Butter" is spreadable, like margarine. It has the same 80% fat, but half of it is from canola oil, which is unsaturated and cholesterol free. So this natural spread doesn't have added trans fats either.

A few of my children don't like "Better Butter" plain on bread (they'd rather eat margarine!), but even they have no problem when I use it for grilled sandwiches, cooking, or topping vegetables. This is a VERY SOFT spread (no trans, remember?), so it stays in the fridge until the last minute; it can get soupy if left out for more than 15 minutes.

Better Butter

1 pound butter, softened

2 cups canola oil

1/4 cup dry milk powder

1/4 cup (scant) water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp liquid lecithin (from a health food store)

Mix in food processor until creamy and thoroughly mixed. Pour into container(s) and refrigerate. It liquefies at room temperature, but resolidifies in the fridge. Yield: about 6 cups

Notes:

I could not find liquid lecithin, so ended up with granules. I combine the lecithin, salt, water, and milk powder in a little dish and let it sit (usually in the fridge) while the butter is softening. Stir to make sure lecithin and salt are dissolved before adding to the food processor.
I find it easiest to put the butter in the food processor to soften--one less dish to clean!
I use salted butter. The additional salt in the recipe, along with the water and milk powder, is there to mimic the composition of butter.
I used to pour the BB into one or two plastic containers, but it's a lot to keep together. At WalMart I found a set of three Anchor Hocking glass containers (2 cups each) with plastic lids that hold one batch perfectly, and now there's no need to label, either. Everyone knows these hold the BB. A small touch, but it makes life nicer here. :-)
This might sound like a lot of project just to make spreadable butter, but there is hardly any active time involved. And as far as hunting for the lecithin (it's an emulsifier, keeping the oil and water blended together), we're still using the first little container Len got more than a year ago.

Best-Ever Hot Chocolate

2008-02-16T20:42:00.000-05:00

February is a great time to think about (and to drink) hot chocolate, and I've got a delicious version. It's better and easier than those recipes that call for cocoa powder with powdered milk or coffee creamer. Please don't even mention the bags of "hot cocoa mix"...

The house with the big trampoline might have more kid visitors most of the time, but we definitely draw the apres-sledding crowd.

Hot Chocolate
1 quart milk
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
vanilla, to taste

Heat milk almost to a boil. Add chocolate. Pause. Whisk until chocolate is melted, then add vanilla to taste. Enjoy; we like ours topped with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.

Notes:

I just splash the vanilla in. I'd guess 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons for this batch.
To make an individual serving, use 1 cup milk, 3 Tbsp chocolate, and a smaller splash of vanilla.
We usually use skim milk, but the creamier milks are more luxurious.
Speaking of luxury, for a more sophisticated drink (dessert?) use whole milk, or milk with part cream, and add bittersweet chocolate. If you don't have bittersweet, make some by substituting unsweetened baking chocolate (chopped or shaved) for part of the chocolate chips (1:3 ratio).
I usually heat the milk (4-6 cups) in an 8 cup glass pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. After whisking the chocolate and vanilla, it's easy to pour into mugs. For larger batches I use the stovetop and serve with a ladle.

Comments

2008-02-13T22:18:00.000-05:00

Oops! My other blog is set up to email me when someone comments on a post. I thought this blog was also set up to email, so I never looked back at old posts. Anne let me know that I've missed several of her comments, and I see some others that I've passed by.

So I am sorry to have missed your thoughts. You've not been neglected on purpose!

I haven't posted in a while, but I have a lot of ideas... and recipes... I'm planning on some new features, too--tools of the trade and favorite ingredients are some categories I want to explore.

I know we all have crazy busy lives, but this one seems crazier lately. And one of my Lenten disciplines is a 10:00 p.m. bedtime, which doesn't leave much room for posting. As you can see, I'm already late tonight!

Crisp Topping

2008-02-03T14:04:00.001-05:00

This is a versatile topping for fruit crisp. For apple crisp, we put a standard apple pie filling (like Betty Crocker's recipe for a 9" or 10" pie) into a 9" glass square pan, then sprinkle this on top. I've adapted the recipe from one in Some Like it South! by the Junior League of Pensacola, Florida.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour

Combine and crumble over fruit. Bake at 350 degrees until fruit is tender and topping is brown; check at about 35 minutes.

Notes:

Even if you love crisp topping, do NOT increase the amounts! I've already done it! I gave this recipe to my sister years ago, and she automatically increased everything, forgetting that great minds think alike. She wondered why the fruit/topping ratio was so low. ;-)
This is a good give-away dessert. When I'm taking a meal to a family, I avoid giving them dishes that need returning. I put the pie filling in a plastic freezer bag, and the topping in another bag, along with instructions. The family can dump them into the pan and enjoy the smell of a warm dessert, too.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

2008-01-30T08:13:00.001-05:00

This is from the old (1977) Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. I actually follow this recipe, except for decreasing the butter. Most cream/white sauce recipes use equal amounts of butter and flour, but I don't find that to be necessary. I just use enough butter to saute without burning, probably about 2 Tbsp for this soup. I'm not fussy about getting the exact amount of asparagus called for, either. If I have a little more, that's fine. This is delicious with skim milk--creamier milk makes it more luxurious.

Cream of Asaparagus Soup
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
butter as needed
salt
6 Tbsp flour
2 cups water or stock
4 cups scalded (heated almost to a boil) milk
1/2 to 1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp salt
white pepper
dash of tamari or soy sauce

Break off the tough asparagus bottoms and discard them (compost pile!!). Cut off the tips and set them aside. Chop the stalks, and cook them with the onions in the butter, salting them lightly.
After about 8-10 minutes, when onions are clear, sprinkle in the flour. Continue to cook over lowest possible heat (use a "waffle" heat absorber if you have one) for 5-8 minutes.
Add water or stock. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.
Puree the sauce bit-by-bit with the milk in the blender. Blend it until thoroughly smooth. Return the puree to a kettle, preferably a double boiler, and add dill, salt, white pepper, and tamari.
Heat the soup very gently--don't boil it or cook it. As it heats, steam or saute the asparagus tips until tender but still very green. Add these, whole, to the soup.
Serve as immediately as possible.

Note: My mom gave me an immersion blender (you stick the blender in the pot rather than transferring the soup) which makes the pureeing MUCH easier. Also, I don't bother with a double boiler; I'm just careful not to scorch the soup.

Taco Soup

2008-01-26T23:18:00.000-05:00

A friend shared this simple, quick recipe with me.

2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning mix (I use reduced sodium)
Brown meat. Add onion and mixes and cook.

1 can (15 ounce) dark red kidney beans
1 can (15 ounce) pinto beans
1 can (15 ounce) hominy
1 small can chopped green chiles, optional
3 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) stewed or petite diced tomatoes
3-4 cups water
Do NOT drain the cans. Add to meat mixture. Cook about 30 minutes, until soup is hot and flavors are blended.

This is great served with chili condiments: sour cream, fritos, grated cheese, and sweet or green onions. If you want it thicker (or want it to fit in your crockpot), just don't add as much water.

This recipe is easy to increase. It freezes fine, but it's so easy that I don't see the point in taking up the freezer space. Maybe making and freezing extra meat mixture would give you a head start. With that in the freezer and cans in the cupboard, you'll always have an emergency dinner ready.

Beef Barley Soup

2008-01-26T22:58:00.001-05:00

Don't you feel cozier just looking at that bowl? :-)

Beef Barley Soup

2 pounds beef cubes (from a roast; chuck roast requires trimming but is flavorful)
onion, chopped, to taste (about 2 large)
5-8 cups broth or water (I use the Swanson boxes of reduced sodium beef broth)

extra broth may be needed
2/3 cup barley (it really expands!)
fresh mushrooms, sliced, optional
sliced or baby carrots

I made this recipe up, and there are several ways to cook it. You can just throw everything but the carrots in a crockpot, then steam the carrots and add at serving time.

The flavor is better if the meat and onion are browned first. Saute the beef in oil, in small batches so it can stick a bit and brown instead of steaming in its juices. Next cook the onions, scraping up the meaty bits in the pan (add a bit of broth if needed). Then put everything but the carrots in the crockpot, or simmer on top of the stove. If you have a Dutch oven, you can even simmer in the oven (about 300 degrees).

In any case, simmer somehow until the barley is cooked and the beef is tender, at least an hour and a half. If you use a crockpot, steam the carrots and add at serving time. If you're simmering on the stove, add the carrots after the beef and barley are done, and cook just until the carrots are ready.

This recipe is easy to double or triple (but that's A LOT of soup), and it freezes well without the carrots. I sometimes make a big batch with the smallest amount of broth, and freeze it in a smaller portion than we will eat. Later I thaw it and add the carrots and more broth. The long cooking is done, and it takes up less space.

Sticky Rice with Mango

2008-01-12T21:11:00.000-05:00

If you've been to a Thai restaurant, you've probably tried sticky rice with mango. It seems to be one of the national desserts of Thailand, equivalent to apple pie or chocolate chip cookies here in America.

It is delicious! The rice is, yes, very sticky, and slightly sweet with the subtle flavor of coconut milk. The juicy, sweet mango is a perfect counterpoint, although fresh pineapple is good, too.

I found a recipe on epicurious.com (from the June 1994 Gourmet), but have since adapted it. The original recipe included a sauce to drizzle over the final product, but didn't use a whole can of coconut milk. I found it annoying to store the leftover milk, and we eat this up so quickly that I decided to revise the recipe using more rice and a whole can of coconut milk. I made it a little sweeter and omitted the sauce. It's still delicious, and even easier. You do need to plan ahead to soak the rice overnight, but there is not much "active" work involved in making this dish.

Sticky Rice with Mango
2 1/4 cups glutinous (sweet) rice
1 can (14 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup sugar (9/26/08: or up to 3/4 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
fresh mango, peeled and cut
toasted sesame seeds, optional

In a bowl wash rice well in several changes of cold water until water is clear. Soak rice in cold water to cover overnight.
Drain rice well in a sieve. Set sieve over a large deep saucepan of simmering water (sieve should not touch water) and steam rice, covered with a kitchen towel and a lid, 30-40 minutes, or until tender (check water level in pan occasionally, adding more water if necessary).
While rice is cooking, heat coconut milk, sugar, and salt, and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Put tender rice and coconut mixture into glass 9" x 13" pan (or other appropriate dish), and stir well with spatula. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes, until coconut milk is absorbed.
To serve, cut a square or rectangle of rice, and put on plate. Sprinkle on sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with mango.

Notes:

The original recipe called for just one mango. This is in no way enough for us. You'll probably want two or three.
The rice is special. The grains are short and fat. It's called glutinous or sweet rice, and will probably be from Korea or Thailand. Check the international aisle of your grocery store, or else an Asian store.
In the past I've used a sieve and pot to steam the rice, but now I use a rice cooker with a steamer insert. Both methods work well.
I store the leftover rice at room temperature, but keep the fruit refrigerated.
UPDATED NOTE: Even at room temperature the rice can get stiff. Microwaving a portion for a few seconds makes it softer and pleasantly warm (don't go for hot). You might also try using just 2 cups of rice.
UPDATE #2 (9/26/08): Our local Trader Joe's sells frozen diced mango. It thaws out pretty well--not mushy. Fresh is of course better, but this is easy and reliable (always ripe, always available, not stringy...).

Waverly "Candy"

2008-01-09T20:16:00.000-05:00

We didn't make many cookies for Christmas this year, so I'm allowing myself to gradually bake some of our holiday favorites now and then. Lauren especially likes these buttery and slightly sweet treats.

This is a recipe I got from my mom, although I've seen variations since.

Waverly "Candy"
Waverly or club or graham crackers
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup white or brown sugar

Fill a jelly roll pan (11" x 17" x 1") with crackers in a single layer. Sprinkle with nuts. Slowly heat butter and sugar until it just comes to a rapid boil. I whisk the butter mixture to keep it homogenous. Pour over the crackers and nuts, covering completely. Bake at 350* for 10-15 minutes, until browned. Watch near the end so they don't burn. While still warm, remove to a cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Notes:

For some reason, heating the butter mixture slowly does matter. I hurried it once, and it wasn't as good.
Try to get the oven time just right--too long and the crackers burn, too short and the cooled product is chewy rather than crisp.
If you wait until the crackers cool before removing from the baking sheet, they will stick and break.
You can drizzle on melted chocolate, if desired.

Tres Leches Cake

2007-12-26T14:54:00.004-05:00

I wanted to make Tres Leches (3 milks) cake for a recent birthday gathering, but had to search the internet for a recipe. This is a traditional Latino cake--my sources suggested Mexico, Texas, Miami, or even Equador or Nicaragua as the point of origin. In any case, it must be a relatively new tradition, since sweetened condensed milk has only been around since the 1800's.

This is a sponge cake soaked in the milks. A sponge cake has a firmer, eggier texture than the butter cakes most of us usually make, which I think would fall apart in all the extra liquid. My family really liked it--Len added it to his "top dessert" list which until now contained only cheesecake, apple pie, and hazelnut cake. It tastes light and fresh, but is actually rich with cream, eggs, and butter, so a little goes a long way!

This version of the recipe is my adaptation of several recipes I found online. The source I drew from most heavily is "Tres Leches III" by Marti on www.allrecipes.com.

Tres Leches Cake

8 eggs, separated (Put the whites in your mixing bowl.)
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk

2 cups heavy whipping cream or half and half
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1-2 Tbsp rum, optional

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
fresh fruit garnish, optional

Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Scrape out into another bowl.
Cream butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat for a minute or two.
Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter using a rubber spatula. I added them in three or four increments rather than all at once.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes.
While cake is cooling, prepare the serving platter. I used a jelly roll pan because I wanted the raised edges. Line your platter with heavy duty foil. Turn the cake out onto this platter and let it cool completely. Poke many holes in the cake with a toothpick, skewer, or fork. Pull the foil up around the cake to enclose the sides (see picture). This will help keep the milks near the cake so they can soak in.
Whisk together the 2 cups cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and optional rum (I forgot it) in a 4 cup measuring cup. Slowly pour milk mixture over the cake. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to soak for at least three hours (overnight is good).
At serving time, pull the foil back down. Whip the remaining 2 cups of cream with vanilla until soft peaks form. Then gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue whipping until stiff. Frost cake, decorate with optional fruit, and serve cold.

Enjoy!

Notes:

We served this with extra fruit on the side.
It is best frosted just before serving, but the leftovers held up well for several days. I transferred the leftover portion to a glass baking dish so the plastic wrap would not touch the cake.
Probably not all the milk mixture will soak into your cake. We used a "slurper" (okay, baster) to get rid of the excess before spreading on the whipped cream.

UPDATED AUGUST 2010:

I finally made my second Tres Leche cake, and have a few new tweaks to offer:

I used half and half instead of heavy whipping cream in the mix of three milks to soak into the cake. It tasted just as good (and rich), so I added that option to the recipe above.
The cake did a much better job of soaking into the cake than last time. I poked many, many holes in it and used a bit less than two cups of cream. I think my technique made the most difference, though: I flipped the cake onto heavy duty foil, but instead of leaving it on the platter overnight, I put it back into the baking pan. This gave the liquid less room to spread out away from with the cake. The next day I lifted it out and onto the platter.

To Blog or Not to Blog?

2007-12-05T23:24:00.000-05:00

For months and months I wanted to have some blogs. I wanted a chance to reflect on my daily life (instead of just reacting to it), and to save (and savor) some memories. I wanted to share recipes and photos.

I finally started blogging, and it really is enjoyable. But life seems to be getting away from me lately. There's the 11 p.m. grocery run, the "Why am I here in the pantry?" moment, the unlaundered school uniform, and the unorganized homeschooling. Oh yes, we're eating every day and wearing mostly clean clothes, but it seems like we're not often getting beyond those basics.

I hope to have the chance to blog some more, but right now it's hard to organize a coherent thought AND get a turn on the computer (the stars must be aligned just right...), so we'll see what happens.