1 cup white flour
3/4 wheat flour [we just used all-purpose for all]
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup chopped rhubarb
3/4 cup sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt [we used strawberry & vanilla]
2 tablespoons canola/vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350º. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Combine egg, milk, yogurt & oil in a small bowl. Stir them into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in rhubarb, strawberries, orange juice and zest. Pour batter into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle tops with white or raw sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Friday, May 07, 2010
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Carnival of the Recipes— Tricks and Treats Edition
Dear guests, please gather around, the tour is about to begin. You have all remembered to bring silverware, I hope? Excellent. It is, of course, your good silverware, passed down from your grandmother and polished free of tarnish, the real silver, not the strange conglomeration of metals that they use today. Very good.
No, no reason. It is merely... appropriate to use the real thing.
We shall begin our tour here, in the cemetery, at the grave of that famous Southern belle Shawn of Everything and Nothing. Miss Shawn was known far and wide for her superior conversational and cooking skills. Families would travel from all over the world to sample such delights as her adorable Cheesy Goblin Head, very suitable to the season.
How did she die? Anemia, I believe... very odd, seeing as she loved to cook with red meat.
Let us move on. The gravedigger is most hospitable and has cooked us a stake... excuse me. Of course I meant a steak, as in Steak with Porcini Cream Sauce. I must be thinking of something else.
Oh how lovely, Professor. You've included the garlic. I think that is most wise. And you have invited Scribbit to contribute? What is this called? Dracula's Revenge? What an unusual name.
What a satisfying stop that was. Our next stop will be the Montaigne house, the site of a most unusual mystery. They say that one day the whole family was found in the house, deeply asleep... much like Sleeping Beauty, don't you think? My mother always blamed the heating system. So prosaic. For some reason, nobody seems to remember what happened to the family after that— they were sent off to some institution, I believe, and the upper floors fell into disrepair.
Oh, it's perfectly safe. See, Slow Cooker Recipes has even left some Mulled Cider for us. There is also Harvest Pumpkin Bread from Mama, Baked Penne With Roasted Vegetables from A Penny Closer, and Comfort Food from Tea Party Girl. Just have a seat and...
Oh. Oh my. No, I did not know about that hidden door. How very clever of you to find the catch in that bookshelf.
Shall we see where it goes?
Oh yes, of course. After we eat.
Why yes, of course I could use a flashlight. I even have one, just in case. But it is so much more interesting to use a lantern, don't you think?
Yes, it does seem remarkably free of dust. Almost as though someone were expecting us. And... do you see a light? A faint glow, up ahead? Just around the corner? Shall we go see?
Oh! How perfectly marvelous! Halloween Werewolf Claws! How lovely of Recipes Recipe to think of setting this up! Now to dig in...
Don't be silly. They're made of chicken.
The full moon was last week, and everyone knows that werewolf goes bad after two days.
What a sweet little trick, to set up a snack in the hidden passage. And just look where this comes out— the lounge. Smarter Dollar has prepared a whole range of Halloween Drinks... none for me, thank you... and Rickey has made us some wonderful Bloody Mary drinks from scratch, as is only proper.
And those of you who have been feeling a little unsure about this house, please, assuage your feelings be going after the Edible Haunted House. It is, after all, a season for sweets.
Our next stop is a pumpkin patch reputed to be that of the farmer... what was his name? The one who reputedly punished the ill-will and thievery of his neighbors through magical pumpkin muffins. Oh, you hadn't heard that story? I don't think I shall tell it right now. It might make you nervous.
Pancake Recipes has prepared some lovely Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes with Roasted Pears for this stop. BCS Frenzy has kindly offered Smokey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds And Straight From the Farm has supplied little Pumpkin Popups.
Why, of course those popups are not, strictly, muffins. Besides, you are not ungrateful, are you?
Now, because our hosts were unwilling to make your life too pumpkiny, a few of them have provided some lovely counterpoints. Bean Sprouts, in the UK, discovered that pumpkins are sometimes not available for love or money. She has provided a lovely Mock Pumpkin Soup recipe that her friends prefer to the real thing. [Note for Americans: a swede is that vegetable sold as a rutabaga.] A Weight Lifted felt that a little World Series Bean Bakeoff would be just the thing, and I must admit that those refried beans look perfectly marvelous. Disease-Proof felt, quite rightly, that by Bringin' da Salad they would be doing us all quite a favor.
And now, dear guests, we shall be visiting a number of these historic houses to do a little trick-or-treating of our own. Despite what some silly people say, trick-or-treating does not have its roots in Celtic mythology, nor is it a strange pagan ritual having anything to do with souls. It is an American invention, an institution started by community groups in the early 20th century as a means of controlling Mischief Night, the traditional yearly pranking of All Hallow's Eve. The thinking was that by flooding the streets with people, those who were preparing the nastier, sometimes deadly, pranks would not dare to do such under the public eye.
Oh, don't mind me. It just amuses me to see folks ranting about the evil history of trick-or-treating, a tradition that was, in part, started by groups such as the Boy Scouts.
Let us begin here, at this cozy little cottage. Hello, Seabird dear, what an amusing set of bear suits. Porridge? How appropriate! And such a good, solid base for our later sweets.
Oh! I didn't expect a party here... Why, thank you! We would love to come in. Look, SugarLaw has brought her meltingly soft Oatmeal Currant Cookies. And the Men In Aprons brought Chocolate Chip Pecan Scones, how divine. There's some Chocolate Mousse over there, under the "Fake It Till You Learn To Make It" sign, Black Cat Cupcakes from Chef Tom, and look! Leader Ladies have brought a whole passel of Halloween Treats For Kids.
Ohh. I'm so full. Perhaps if we walk to the far houses, out at the end of the road, we'll have enough appetite.
Club Mom of Readable Feast has offered to tell us of Magical Meerkats as we walk. And she's brought Dulce Du Leche Bat Cookies.
Let us stop at Jennie's before we Ramble too far... I'm sorry, I'm getting a little punchy. She's brought us some lovely Candy Sushi, suitable for your little goblins. And World Famous Recipes has brought out a somewhat early Christmas Trifle, suitable for all holidays.
Well! I admit, that was quite a food tour. Far more treats than tricks, I hope you agree. Please, come back to visit anytime. Just bring your silverware, particularly if it's a full moon.
No reason. No reason at all.
Mock Pumpkin Soup
Oatmeal Currant Cookies
Candy Sushi
Chocolate Chip Pecan Scones
Fake It Till You Learn To Make It Chocolate Mousse
Dulce De Leche Bat Cookies
Harvest Pumpkin Bread
Steak with Porcini Cream Sauce
World Series Bean Bakeoff
Christmas (Holiday) Trifle
Porridge, as in Goldilocks
Bringin' da Salad
Halloween Treats For Kids
Black Cat Cupcakes
Comfort Food
Dracula's Revenge
Pumpkin Popups
Bloody Mary
Halloween Drinks
Edible Haunted House
Halloween Werewolf Chicken Claws
Crockpot Mulled Cider
Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes with Roasted Pears
Baked Penne With Roasted Vegetables
Smokey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Cheesy Goblin Head
Monday, September 25, 2006
Carnival of the Recipes Harvest
Welcome to the Carnival of the Recipes! First off, I need to introduce you to our host, Pumpkin Spice.What you need to understand is that Pumpkin Spice is not a person. She's an ad. For coffee, actually.
In 2002, I went to the World Science Fiction convention in San Jose. Upon my return, I was informed that I needed to draw Pumpkin Spice. Naturally, my reaction was "Huh?" But the explanation is quite simple. Pumpkin Spice was a coffee that Borders used to sell (until the café portion of the stores was taken over by Seattle's Best.) Every fall, there was an inter-store competition to see who could sell the most.
My co-workers had, while I was gone, decided that Pumpkin Spice had left the Spice Girls and that I needed to illustrate her. By Tuesday, of course.Or Monday if I could manage it.
That year's Pumpkin Spice was rather quick, a quasi-anime witch with orange hair. By the next year, when I knew I couldn't get out of it, she'd gotten more towards the perky Goth mode. (Those versions are archived on DVD somewhere and I couldn't find them right now.) And 2004 was the last year of Pumpkin Spice coffee.
Incidentally, we won the competition all three years for our region; by store volume, we sold the highest percentage of bags. More than once, it was the result of someone doing a double-take at the illustrations, then asking for a sample. Witness the power of advertising.
But I missed Pumpkin Spice, so I decided to bring her back. So now on to the food!
As I mixed the proper proportions of my coffee, Teldra said, "How do you brew klava?"Why not celebrate autumn with a warm drink? The Egoist has an idea to spice up your chai. Let us know how that turns out, because as a mild aficionado myself, I won't be trying it.
"You don't know?"
She smiled. "I can serve it with the best, but I've never needed to learn how to brew it."
"You press coffee through a filter made of eggshells and wood chips with vanilla bean, then reheat it so it almost boils, then you pass it through a cloth to remove any oils brought out by the reheating."
"Wood chips?"
"Hickory works well, also fegra, cherrywood, and crocra. It's the wood, or combination of woods, that makes each version unique. Well, and how much vanilla you use. Also, some people add cinnamon, but I don't; cinnamon is just as good if you add it later. Everyone has his own recipe. Valabar's does it best, but they do everything best. I miss Valabar's."
—Issola, Steven Brust
Morning Coffee and Afternoon Tea submits a Cranberry Harvest Tea recipe. The wonderful part about this is that you can start with any black tea you happen to have on hand.
The Common Room linked to this "Russian Tea" recipe as a side for their submission. It's come to the Carnival before, but it's welcome this time as well!
Two troopers in white jackets appeared, quickly setting plates before each officer. On each plate were thin strips of something covered with a glaze.The salmon are running and the salmon recipes are coming in. The Common Room's Salmon Chowder can be made at any time, as it only requires canned salmon. Provide your own glutton; the First Year Boy is not available in most states.
Alucius tried the first course, discovering it was some sort of tangy fish, covered with a lemon-almond glaze that went down easily.
"Have you had lemon-smoked oarfish before?" asked the majer.
"I'd had oarfish, but not prepared this way," Alucius admitted. "What I've had wasn't nearly this good."
—Darknesses, L.E. Modesitt
Foodies Across Borders present a salmon recipe that is grilled on a cedar plank and served with lemon-chardonnay sauce. Their timeline goes from "a bit in advance" (soak the cedar plank) through "salivating yet?"
Yea, verily, yea.
Kate of Electric Venom posts what she should do Before My Basil Starts Dying. (She should make pesto, that's what.)
"Hercule Poirot says there's always something that no one noticed or thought was important," she said, picking up the Stag At Bay.
Inside was a mass of pungent-smelling brown objects. "What's that?"
"Devilled kidneys," she said, "braised in chutney and mustard. In Hercule Poirot mysteries, there's always one little fact that doesn't fit, and that's the key to the myster." She picked up a charging bull by the horns. "This is cold ptarmigan."
"Aren't there any eggs and bacon?"
She shook her head. "Strictly for the lower classes." She held out a shellacked fish on a fork. "Kipper?"
I settled for porridge.
—To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis
To take a slight detour, American Inventor Spot points us as The Makeover of Everyday Salt. Most of us know about fancy salts, from various sea salts to kosher flake salt (my fave), but table salt? It turns out that a simple change might make everyone's lives a little easier...
And Meanderings found an online cook's thesaurus. It will let you know about conversions and substitutions and weird name changes. While good international cookbooks will do the same (I love how the bargain publisher Hermes House has conversions for all English-speaking countries; "divided by a common language," indeed), it's nice to have a central reference point for the times when you just can't find "aniseed" and you're looking straight past the fennel...
Of all the wonderful food that his spouse produced, Uncle Sebastian most adored the uniquely Devon cream tea— scones, clotted cream, and jam. Margherita made her very own clotted cream, which not all Devon or Cornish ladies did— a great many relied on the dairies to make it for them. The shallow pan of heavy cream simmering in its water-bath would certainly make Uncle Sebastian happy when he saw it.What is autumn without baking bread? Kicking Over My Traces shows us a recipe for Seven Grain Bread, and a link with photos.
—The Gates of Sleep, Mercedes Lackey
A Weight Lifted takes advantage of the fall fig-harvesting season (which is a bit earlier for Calmyrna figs in places like my parents' front yard) and submits a recipe for Pistacio and Fig Bread. And it's healthy too.
"Is there any supper?"Elisson posts about Meat R Us; how central meat is to the human condition, and how important it is for holidays. He also shows off a lovely beef brisket in the process.
"There'th walago,* noggi,** sclot,*** swinefletht and thauthageth," said Igor, still clearly upset about the trophies. "I'll thop tomorrow, if Her Ladythip giveth me inshtructionth."
"Is swineflesh the same as pork?" said Vimes. People in drought-stricken areas would pay good money to have Igor pronounce "sausages."
"Yes," said Inigo.
"And what's in the sausages?"
"Er... meat?" said Igor, looking as though he was ready to run.
"Good. We'll give them a try."
———
*A kind of pastry made from curtains.
**Buckwheat dumplings stuffed with stuff.
***Bread made from parsnips, and widely considered to be much tastier than the dull wheat kind.
—The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett
Suite 101— a site for the curious— tells us a little about Kobe Beef: what it is, how hard it is to cook, and the less expensive varieties that are still Kobe. Apparently, while Kobe beef is fatty, it's unsaturated and therefore heart-healthy. I had no idea.
And though a geezer's corner didn't send this link in directly, who can deny that A Simple Steak is a marvelous way to have your beef? "It's what's for dinner", indeed.
For a change of pace, Trinity Prep School submits a Cheese Soup Supper. As they say, this soup's a winner; warm and cheesy.
Janet spread the paper napkin on her lap, picked up her dish of stewed tomatoes, and said, "Now don't look. I'm going to mush these into the macaroni and cheese."
Sharon covered her face with her hands. Nora said, "I've already watched Sharon pepper her cottage cheese until it turned gray; what's a few tomatoes to that?"
—Tam Lin, Pamela Dean
Everything and Nothing has sent in a recipe for Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguine this week. It's a Mississippi water harvest! (You may also like to know that although she only sends in one recipe every week, Everything and Nothing is chock full of recipe goodness, including things you've never heard of. Sweet and Spicy Bacon. Dessert Nachos. Grenadine. Eggplant Chips. Quite a read.)
It's getting to crockpot season, and triticale submits a Red Beans & Smoked Sausage beauty that looks like the perfect thing to set up the night before, put in the slow cooker in the morning, and come home to at the end of an exhausting day. Bet it makes the house smell wonderful.
Riannan of In the Headlights joins in the fun with a One Pot Meal that involves corn, rice, and chicken. Disease Proof also submits chicken, a vaguely Asian trio of recipes that make for a very healthy (and tasty!) meal. Mom Advice does them one better, in a One Pan One Step Chicken and Potato Bake.
Mom or not, you can't deny how wonderful a one-step cooking process is.
Me-ander (not to be confused with Meaderings, above) submits two recipes; Nameless Leftover Noodle Surprise nd One Pot's Enough For Me (Rice & Veggies).
Seriously Good turns to fall recipes, in this case Kraut-style Pork Chops and Sauerkraut (Choucrote). Pork chops speak of fall to me as well, though my family went for the simple fried chops with applesauce. As you might expect, we kids tended to have the applesauce on the side, in copious amounts and with cinnamon aplenty.
What would harvest be without pumpkin recipes? Famous Recipes presents a Fall Pumpkin Cider Bread. My dirty little secret is that I have never in my life cooked anything pumpkin myself. Not seeds and certainly not bread. I guess the excuse "but I don't have a recipe" won't work anymore.
Not everyone is rushing towards fall. Post-Haste Taste submits a recipe for a Late-Summer Vegetable Mixture. Just going a little crazy for lunch. This is another gorgeous blog about food. I could link the whole thing.
Blabber Heads is steering clear of the whole pumpkin thing and instead submits a recipe for Stuffed Bell Peppers. It looks fascinating, but for some reason bell peppers never make it long enough to get stuffed in my vicinity.
Mmm. Sliced fresh bell peppers.
I drizzled liqueur on the strawberries— sparingly, however glad the Ticker might have been to squander the stuff on mere mortals. The smell made me want to lie down in the bowl.Stop the Ride! has a lovely thought about free apples, and a pie recipe to go with it. Since Stop the Ride! is dedicated to reducing financial problems by living beneath your means, an offer of free apples is not to be refused.
Tick-Tick handed me a bowl and a whisk, and pointed at the milk bottle. "Pour the cream off the top of that and whip it, would you?"
"Wait a minute. That's work."
"It's exercise. Do you good before breakfast."
[...]
The alcohol was gone from the liqueur, the strawberries were warmed and softened, and some of the sugars had caramelized. The waffles were crisp all around the edges and soft in the middle. And the Ticker had stopped me just in time on the whipped cream. There was hot tea to wash it down with, which tasted something like Darjeeling and something like not. It was related to last night's shower: it was a meal to make me grovellingly happy to be alive.
—Finder, Emma Bull
And speaking of apples, writer Diane Duane has a two-part recipe for an apple tart. The crust is here while the delectable apple filling is here.
A geezer's corner tells us of how a rice-cooking accident led to Arborio Rice Pudding. We've all been there, I'm sure; just reaching into the cupboard and grabbing the wrong thing. In this case, though, the end result looks fabulous.
And finally, we end with Men In Aprons' submission, a simple recipe for Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies. Because every meal deserves chocolate cookies.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Carnival of the Recipes Roadtrip Edition
This week's theme is Roadtrip. The premiere cooks of the blogosphere— by which I mean the people who make my mouth water just by reading their recipes— have been hard at work, thinking up new ways to travel tastily. Whether you plan to walk, bike, boat, fly, ride a train or drive a car, there's something you can pack along to make your journey a little bit tastier.
We start with a few tips for travel. Clean out your cooler, because you don't want any surprises moldering away. Once it's clean, don't pack it with ice; instead, buy a few bottles of water (or a plastic gallon jug) and freeze them instead. They cool just as efficiently, as they thaw you can drink icy fresh water, and if somebody overturns the cooler, there's nothing to leak.Not that that has ever happened.
Pack the essentials. It never hurts to have a few cups, or a few basic utensils, and it definitely is a plus to have paper napkins, plastic bags for trash, and perhaps some wet naps to clean fingers. Especially before putting your hands on the steering wheel.
"Cooking gear?"
"I," said Tazendra, "intend to eat at hostelries along the way."
"And, if we are between hostelries?"
"Then we shall bring bread and cheese."
"Very well, said Khaavren, "then we also have no need for napkins and tablecloths."
—The Phoenix Guards, Steven Brust
Keewee's Corner has the scoop on the bread and cheese with Ham and Cheese Scones. While munching those down... before you take off, I mean... make sure to pack the Trail Mix provided by Homeschool Blogger. The intrepid homeschoolers suggest that you pack this in individual baggies for single servings. It seems to me that would cut down on the problems with sharing.
Kicking Over My Traces has an oh-so-simple recipe for Banana Bread, which is durable, travels well, and is a great favorite. I remember once my mother left on a trip and left me the oldest, blackest bananas you could imagine to make bread. I took the standard recipe, added sunflower seeds and raisins, and, well, squeezed the bananas out of their skins into the bowl. That was really, really good banana bread.Terence's idea of roughing it consisted of pork pie, veal pie, cold roast beef, a ham, pickles, pickled eggs, pickled beets, cheese, bread and butter, ginger beer, and a bottle of port. It was possibly the best meal I had ever had in my life.
—To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis
Trail Mix is good and Banana Bread is tasty, but the cooler's still empty. Luckily, there's quite a selection of sandwiches to pack. Riannan of In the Headlights tells us of Muffuletta, a Dagwood-worthy sandwich that increases in taste through sitting around. Men In Aprons submit Sweet and Spicy Chicken Salad Sandwiches, a recipe that includes both apples and hot sauce. (Kinda reminds me of my husband's propensity to put horseradish in tuna salad sandwiches.)
As a snack, why not consider frozen grapes? Wash and dry your seedless grapes— Thompson are best, but any seedless will do— and carefully remove them from the stems. I find a gentle twist works better than a pull. Drop them into a freezer bag— you did dry them, right?— and freeze overnight. They're ideal for those hot, stuffy days when your car doesn't have an air conditioner, because they're tasty even after they've thawed. (They don't last much past thawing, though. Throw away any leftovers at the end of the day.)"What do you do on your half-day off?" asked the young man interestedly.
"We go to the forest. Mr. Pemberthy and Peter Aurelious and me— I mean I. One of the cooks lets me take any old scraps of bread and cake that are left over, and we have a picnic. We have a lovely time."
—The Ordinary Princess, M.M. Kaye
Laura Rebecca has a Hasty Chicken Salad that sounds pretty well ideal for those picnic lunches. Toss it in the cooler! And to clear your palate, Jami Leigh suggests cool Mint Cucumbers.
The BBQ General submits not one recipe, but a whole picnic. His Red Truck Picnic includes Right Off the Jar Potato Salad (nb: "Hellman's" mayonnaise is sold under the name "Best Foods" west of the Mississippi), Blue Smoke Devilled Eggs, and Championship Chicken. Take a look through his whole site. He is a great proponent of the idea of doing new and tasty things as well as the tried and true.
"It's too hot," Garion advised critically as the rat-faced little man prepared to lay strips of bacon in a smoking iron pan.
"Do you want to do this?"
"I was just warning you, that's all."
"I don't have your advantages, Garion," Silk replied tartly. "I didn't grow up in Polgara's kitchen the way you did. I just make do the best I can."
"You don't have to get grumpy about it, "Garion said. "I just thought you'd like to know that the pan's too hot."
"I think I can manage without any more advice."
"Suit yourself— but you're going to burn the bacon."
Silk gave him an irritated look and started slapping bacon slices in the pan. The slices sizzled and smoked, and their edges turned black almost immediately.
—Castle of Wizardry, David Eddings
Once you've reached your destination, it's time for the main meal. Are you taking a grill out to the beach? Are you cooking over a campfire? Gullyborg of Resistance is Futile has a suggestion for Pacific Rim Salmon With Rice and Asparagus. Now, I can figure out how to adjust to cooking the salmon over a campfire, but the rice is a stumper. Perhaps this is the recipe for when you've reached your friend's house with the brand new gas range. But Everything and Nothing has a recipe for Fresh Corn Sauté with Tomato, Squash, and Okra that is a single-skillet meal. You could be the envy of a campground with such a meal."Cooking over an open flame is its own art, and doesn't have much to do with oven cooking or stove cooking. I'm not really good at it. But I know that wine always helps."
—Athyra, Steven Brust
For the grill on the beach (or by that mountain lake!) we have several selections. Grilled Shrimp Kabobs (With Southwest Citrus Marinade) sound utterly heavenly, and they're from the healthy eaters at A Weight Lifted, so you know they're good for you. Trub (the sediment of life) supplies a recipe for Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin Steaks with Honey-Chipotle Sauce. You should refrigerate these for several hours... but it seems to me that appropriate prep before driving and proper storage in the cooler might do the same thing.While we're on the subject of grilling, I should reveal that kabobs are far easier than I had thought, for some reason. You soak your wood skewers in water so they don't burn, and you cut your veggies in chunks (I prefer red onion, bell peppers of varying colors, and cherry tomatoes), and then comes the meat. When last we did kabobs, it was nothing more than flank steak cut into cubes. I rubbed a little kosher salt on mine, grilled it, and it was amazing.
The feast began with a mild culinary skirmish. Riyan's cook opened with cactus soup made from an Isulki recipe. Pol's cook countered with small fish broiled in wine, presented on waves of puff pastry as if they leaped through the ocean. Then came the lobsters, steamed to succulence in silk wrappings, one claw clutching a tiny pearl to be kept as a remembrance of the occasion.
[...]
The real battle began. Chunks of elk and lamb glazed in mossberry and onion sauce were accompanied by dark Gribain red wine in goblets that were part of Chiana's silver service. Riyan's cook, disdaining the obvious accompaniments, concocted a salad of an astonishing variety of greenery, dressed with vinegar-and-something that set Sioned's tongue deliciously atingle.
[...]
Until now, the war had been pretty much a draw. But both cooks knew Pol's weakness. The final weapons were pinenut pie oozing honey, and a more suitable fruit pastry, countered by small mountains of taze ice festooned with candied flowers.
—Skybowl, Melanie Rawn
What goes well with grilled food? Corn, that's what. Blog d'Elisson takes us back to simple summer days with his easy corn recipe. (You can also lay those ears of corn on the grill, shucked or not as you prefer.) I am now looking forward to the time when Sloughhouse Corn is available. It's only a twenty-mile drive...Of course, Disease Proof has not one, but three tasty, healthy stews. Dutch ovens were made for things like this. Just set up your stew in the coals, and let it go... and those ingredients aren't going to be hurt by a ride. The Headmistress of The Common Room also sends a recipe for something that could go in a Dutch oven... but Asian Style Pot Roast for 36 (and Ginger-Sesame Slaw for Twelve) makes me think we're going to need a bigger pot! Maybe an imu!
Continuing with the vaguely Asian-style cooking, Triticale has determined how to make Chicken-Fried Rice, or you might think of them as fried-rice balls. Mmm. Sticky Americanized-Chinese goodness.
Me-ander has a recipe for Goes With Everything Sweet Kugel that, obviously, goes with your grilled stuff. And your corn. It sounds quite refreshing and different.
There were petit fours in their pale colors, with frosting flowers— no, preserved flowers, roses and violets and marigolds and nasturtiums; there were perfect miniature fruits, each with the color and bloom proper to its skin: apples, peaches, pears, plums, oranges, none bigger than a large marble— marzipan, those must be; there were rolled up lacy cookies dipped half in chocolate and filled with cream; there were candied orange slices and ginger chunks and whole red strawberries all sparkling with sugar; there were slabs of shortbread pricked with a fork in patterns of flowers; there were small cakes like chrysanthemums; there were piles and drifts of the glistening red seeds of the pomegranate; there were, in fact, exactly as Keats had said in "The Eve of St. Agnes," candied apple, quince, and plum, and gourd (by which he meant melon, and Melinda Wolfe provided cantaloupe); jellies soother than the creamy curd, and lucent syrups, tinct with cinnamon, all right, Janet could smell it from where she stood, and dates, too— all of which Porphyro had brought to seduce Madeline.
[...]
"Shall we go eat some of the artwork?"
"So you think it's safe?"
Molly hadn't even read "The Eve of St. Agnes."
Janet said, "With Anne around, what would she want with us?"
"It's the pomegranate seeds that worry me," said Molly. "Blackstock isn't really my idea of Hell, but its physics program is a pretty good imitation."
Janet patted her on the shoulder. "We'll confine ourselves to the marzipan, then; there can't be anything sinister about marzipan."
—Tam Lin, Pamela Dean
And what is a roadtrip without sweet stuff? Seriously Good— whose whole blog deserves a deep culinary inspection, and do bring a towel to wipe up the drool— has some seriously good Marscapone Brownies. Oh. My. And The Glittering Eye, unable to decide between three tried and true crème brûlée recipes, presents all three recipes for our edification.Next week's Carnival is hosted at Caterwauling. Please submit your links to recipes to recipe.carnival@gmail.com before noon Central Standard Time on June the 29th. Don't forget, it's Independence Day— think of all the classics that you serve. (Anybody have a recipe for red, white, and blue cheesecake? Strawberries and blueberries?)
Monday, December 12, 2005
Traditional Polish-American Christmas Eve Meal
When I was growing up, we always had the "traditional" Polish Christmas Eve meal. As this meal involved can openers, you can see that it's not that traditional. However, thanks to the Power of the Internet, it's pretty easy to go back to the roots and find out where the traditions actually came from and what, precisely, they are supposed to be.
To begin with, the Christmas Eve meal is vegetarian. However, this came from a time when "vegetarian" meant "not animal", so part of the meal is fish. I waffled between liking this and not liking this part. Other parts of the meal usually flipped around in favor as well, depending on my tastes at the time.
The meal begins at the time the first star is sighted. This may be difficult if the sky is overcast or you live in a city. Substitution of a blinking plane is acceptible. The meal itself is the Wigila, the Vigil. One should put a white tablecloth on the table and leave an extra place setting for absent family members. Please note that small children in the family will probably object to this custom, as it interferes with their sense of what is right. Ignore them.
The meal opens with soup, a potato-mushroom one. Growing up, this was Campbell's— one can each of cream of potato and cream of mushroom. But since I've grown up and learned to cook, it's much more fun to make from scratch. This dish can be made early and heated up at the last minute.
No, really. It's actually supposed to be a soft cheese with cinnamon. Cottage cheese not only fits the bill, it's quite common in this regard.
Last year, for the pierogi, my sister served Trader Joe's Potato Cheese Pierogi. My father— the one who was raised with this traditional meal— tasted them, and said they tasted nothing like what he grew up with. After a pause, he added, "This is much better." This company sells pierogi, if you don't have a Trader Joe's in your area— that would be anyone who doesn't live in the Western states.
If you want to cook your own, Cooks.com has a bunch of recipes. Just remember that fillings such as prunes, raisins, and cottage cheese are among the traditional ones. No wonder my interest waffled.
As for the fish, pick one that is native to your area for the best effect, though I'd avoid catfish. It is to be fried in butter with slices of hard-boiled egg. You may see some recipes refer to "brown butter"— this is a high-fat European variety that is often available in the supermarket under varying names. This Thanksgiving I was treated to pumpkin ravioli fried in brown butter and sage, and I can attest that it is Oh. So. Good. Be careful not to burn the butter, though.
And then we come to the cabbage. I never liked this part, but I've found some recipes that may improve on the simple "boil and add salt and pepper" method.
And let the fruitcake jokes begin. I never understood these jokes as a child— I loved fruitcake. When I got older, I discovered that not all fruitcakes are created equal. Those nasty, brutish things you get from some supermarkets, or that horrible concoction with the unverifiable fruitlike things that your Aunt Martha made are the source of all the jokes. Instead, we got our fruitcakes sent to us from some company in Texas that made a moist, molasses-wonderful confection.
I'd link, but I have no idea who they are. Instead, I'll link the Harry & David site, as their fruitcake is similarly tasty. (You know Harry & David. They're the Fruit of the Month Club™ guys.) Or if you make your own, carefully marinating it over several months with high-quality rum, please don't burn it as my friend Stephanie's aunt invariably did. As she said, "We assumed it was good, but it never got as far as the table."
Okay. The final part to the meal is the sharing of the oplatek, a thin unleavened wafer (available through the internet.) The oldest person breaks it with the next oldest, then that person with the next, and so on down the line until everybody has broken oplatek with everyone else and there are little unleavened flakes all over the floor. Then you eat it and it gums up your teeth.
Ah, memories. Shortly afterwards we were sent to bed so we could get up in time for Midnight Mass, and my parents would assemble any presents that needed assembly. One year, I could make absolutely no sense out of the sounds coming from the front room— a sort of whirring, grinding sound.
That was the year I got an electric train, HO scale. Very cool, and it's still somewhere at my parents' place...
To begin with, the Christmas Eve meal is vegetarian. However, this came from a time when "vegetarian" meant "not animal", so part of the meal is fish. I waffled between liking this and not liking this part. Other parts of the meal usually flipped around in favor as well, depending on my tastes at the time.
The meal begins at the time the first star is sighted. This may be difficult if the sky is overcast or you live in a city. Substitution of a blinking plane is acceptible. The meal itself is the Wigila, the Vigil. One should put a white tablecloth on the table and leave an extra place setting for absent family members. Please note that small children in the family will probably object to this custom, as it interferes with their sense of what is right. Ignore them.
The meal opens with soup, a potato-mushroom one. Growing up, this was Campbell's— one can each of cream of potato and cream of mushroom. But since I've grown up and learned to cook, it's much more fun to make from scratch. This dish can be made early and heated up at the last minute.
Thick and Chunky Potato-Leek-Mushroom SoupThe next course of the meal is the main course. This includes a fried white fish, boiled cabbage or sauerkraut (oddly enough, I never quite liked this part), and pierogi (little Polish dumplings) filled with things such as prunes and cottage cheese with cinnamon.
You will need:
-Leeks. My original recipe calls for three medium leeks but they grow them really big around here, so I use one large. This is oniony, so increase or decrease it based on your preferences.
-Potatoes. Again, this calls for four "medium" potatoes and I have yet to run across a truly medium potato.
-Butter. Ain't nothing like the real thing, and you'll need a lot for another dish.
-Mushrooms. The standard store mushroom is fine, but Crimini (Italian Brown) mushrooms are similar in taste to Portabella mushrooms, but cheaper.
-Chicken broth. Buy the low-sodium kind or make your own. Yes, you can use vegetable broth as well.
-Milk.
-Salt and white pepper, unless you don't care about little black flecks in your food, in which case black pepper works fine.
Cut off the green stems of the leeks and wash to remove sand. Cut them longwise and then crosswise into little chunks. Melt the butter over low heat in your soup pot and saute the leeks until soft, about five minutes.
Peel and cut the potatoes into inch-wide chunks. Throw them into the pot. Cut up the mushrooms. Throw them into the pot. Use enough broth to cover the potatoes and mushrooms and set the heat to simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer until the poatoes are cooked, about 45 minutes. At this point you can set it aside to wait for later.
It's later, so get out your blender. I generally pull out half of the chunks or potato and put them in the serving bowls, then take the remainder and put it in the blender with milk and spices to taste. (Remember, liquids first! Don't burn out your blender; fried electronics have an unappetizing smell.) Blend until smooth— you may have to do this in sections— and reheat if necessary, then pour over the chunks of potato. Serve immediately.
No, really. It's actually supposed to be a soft cheese with cinnamon. Cottage cheese not only fits the bill, it's quite common in this regard.
Last year, for the pierogi, my sister served Trader Joe's Potato Cheese Pierogi. My father— the one who was raised with this traditional meal— tasted them, and said they tasted nothing like what he grew up with. After a pause, he added, "This is much better." This company sells pierogi, if you don't have a Trader Joe's in your area— that would be anyone who doesn't live in the Western states.
If you want to cook your own, Cooks.com has a bunch of recipes. Just remember that fillings such as prunes, raisins, and cottage cheese are among the traditional ones. No wonder my interest waffled.
As for the fish, pick one that is native to your area for the best effect, though I'd avoid catfish. It is to be fried in butter with slices of hard-boiled egg. You may see some recipes refer to "brown butter"— this is a high-fat European variety that is often available in the supermarket under varying names. This Thanksgiving I was treated to pumpkin ravioli fried in brown butter and sage, and I can attest that it is Oh. So. Good. Be careful not to burn the butter, though.
And then we come to the cabbage. I never liked this part, but I've found some recipes that may improve on the simple "boil and add salt and pepper" method.
Cabbage With CarawayCaraway is apparently one of the traditional Polish spices.
You will need:
-Water
-Onion, fresh or dried
-Caraway seeds
-Salt
-Small head of cabbage
-A big pot
Boil about a quart of water with a little minced onion, salt, and caraway seeds. After about ten minutes, cut the cabbage into small wedges and boil until tender, but not so long that the whole thing is mush. Serve immediately.
Boiled Red CabbageNow we move on to the fruitbread. This is some sweet bread with dried fruits in it.
You will need:
-1 small red cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced
-1 tart apple, grated
-butter (again!)
-1/4 cup vinegar (I suggest apple cider vinegar, for consistency)
-1/2 cup red currant jelly
-1/4 cup water
-salt
I don't know the specific name for this kind of pan, but one of those saucepans that looks like a cross between a handled pot and a frying pan, with a lid, is a pretty good bet for this recipe. Melt the butter over gentle heat, then add everything else, cover, and simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally. The vinegar will help the cabbage retain its color.
And let the fruitcake jokes begin. I never understood these jokes as a child— I loved fruitcake. When I got older, I discovered that not all fruitcakes are created equal. Those nasty, brutish things you get from some supermarkets, or that horrible concoction with the unverifiable fruitlike things that your Aunt Martha made are the source of all the jokes. Instead, we got our fruitcakes sent to us from some company in Texas that made a moist, molasses-wonderful confection.
I'd link, but I have no idea who they are. Instead, I'll link the Harry & David site, as their fruitcake is similarly tasty. (You know Harry & David. They're the Fruit of the Month Club™ guys.) Or if you make your own, carefully marinating it over several months with high-quality rum, please don't burn it as my friend Stephanie's aunt invariably did. As she said, "We assumed it was good, but it never got as far as the table."
Okay. The final part to the meal is the sharing of the oplatek, a thin unleavened wafer (available through the internet.) The oldest person breaks it with the next oldest, then that person with the next, and so on down the line until everybody has broken oplatek with everyone else and there are little unleavened flakes all over the floor. Then you eat it and it gums up your teeth.
Ah, memories. Shortly afterwards we were sent to bed so we could get up in time for Midnight Mass, and my parents would assemble any presents that needed assembly. One year, I could make absolutely no sense out of the sounds coming from the front room— a sort of whirring, grinding sound.
That was the year I got an electric train, HO scale. Very cool, and it's still somewhere at my parents' place...
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Egg Toast
One thing I have noticed about L.E. Modesitt's books is that reading them will, over time, make you hungry.
The reason is simple: in every novel of his, particular attention is paid to food. He is very concerned about what people eat. In the fantasy novels, travel food is emphasized, with army food pointed out from time to time. His Recluce books lead to cravings for olives and cheese. It's also evident that he has, at some point, had a bad experience with cactus or something like it; in two of his series, he has a food substance that is good for you and really, not very tasty. Both "quilla" and "prickle" tend to be strongly disliked by his protagonists.
But he's also fond of the good meals and the unique meals, and of slipping in some regional specialty seemingly made of fire in the role of spice. And his science fiction novels also feature food, both the good and the bad.
In the Corean Chronicles, a recent series, one of the common breakfast choices is "egg toast." That rang a bell, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. (I've been tired.) When it hit me, it was a supreme moment of "Well... duh."
Egg toast is what a non-American might call French Toast. Because French Toast is an inaccurate term for one of the most delectable breakfast concoctions ever created.
Aaaaaand... it's one I've never managed to get right. I either end up with heavy, eggy bread that tastes like... well... eggs, or I end up with this weird soggy mess, or something that is basically bread with a light coating of egg. But I've mastered the omelette (after much trial), so I decided to surf online recipes and find out just exactly where I'm going wrong.
And, hmm, that doesn't seem to help, as they disagree. One says to soak the bread "for just a few seconds" while another states that you dip the bread until it is well saturated. They say nothing about the bread, which is of supreme importance. And not a one of them mentions a prime ingredient of diner French Toast, which is the scattering of powdered sugar across the surface. So I will present to you the basic French Toast recipe, which should work for you... because it works for everybody but me.
Maybe you can come and cook it for me someday.
You will need:
Day-old or older bread (stale is what it was originally used for!), preferably thick
Eggs
Milk
Vanilla
Cinnamon
Nutmeg (optional)
Butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or other toppings of your choice including preserves or fresh fruit
Griddle, nonstick, or seasoned iron pan
Crack some eggs into a shallow bowl. Add a little milk and a droozle* of vanilla, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Whisk them together until they are blended but don't keep going after that! Soak the bread according to your own design, making sure that both sides are coated.
Cook the bread over medium-low heat until the first side is firm, then flip and do the other side. Serve with whipped butter and a dusting of powdered sugar, warmed maple syrup on the side.
Or serve with fresh fruit. Or use raisin bread (Costco has a WONDERFUL raisin bread that tastes as raisin bread should, not like Sunmaid's lifeless variety.) Or use your egg toast to make a jam sandwich.
This is particularly good with a side of hash browns. The salty potato crunch is a perfect counter. And don't forget the orange juice.
So— tell me, just what am I doing wrong? Answer in the comments, and anyone who has worked at a diner will earn a virtual cookie by telling me what temperature they run the griddle at. Medium? Hot?
Also consider these recipes, variations on the theme:
Almond French Toast
Applesauce French Toast
Prepare-it-the-night-before Baked French Toast
*Liquid measurements go up in size like this: mist, spritz, squirt, drizzle, droozle, glug, shot (actual measurement). That is not a family phrasing and I have no idea why I came up with it, but it works for me.
The reason is simple: in every novel of his, particular attention is paid to food. He is very concerned about what people eat. In the fantasy novels, travel food is emphasized, with army food pointed out from time to time. His Recluce books lead to cravings for olives and cheese. It's also evident that he has, at some point, had a bad experience with cactus or something like it; in two of his series, he has a food substance that is good for you and really, not very tasty. Both "quilla" and "prickle" tend to be strongly disliked by his protagonists.
But he's also fond of the good meals and the unique meals, and of slipping in some regional specialty seemingly made of fire in the role of spice. And his science fiction novels also feature food, both the good and the bad.
In the Corean Chronicles, a recent series, one of the common breakfast choices is "egg toast." That rang a bell, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. (I've been tired.) When it hit me, it was a supreme moment of "Well... duh."
Egg toast is what a non-American might call French Toast. Because French Toast is an inaccurate term for one of the most delectable breakfast concoctions ever created.
Aaaaaand... it's one I've never managed to get right. I either end up with heavy, eggy bread that tastes like... well... eggs, or I end up with this weird soggy mess, or something that is basically bread with a light coating of egg. But I've mastered the omelette (after much trial), so I decided to surf online recipes and find out just exactly where I'm going wrong.
And, hmm, that doesn't seem to help, as they disagree. One says to soak the bread "for just a few seconds" while another states that you dip the bread until it is well saturated. They say nothing about the bread, which is of supreme importance. And not a one of them mentions a prime ingredient of diner French Toast, which is the scattering of powdered sugar across the surface. So I will present to you the basic French Toast recipe, which should work for you... because it works for everybody but me.
Maybe you can come and cook it for me someday.
You will need:
Day-old or older bread (stale is what it was originally used for!), preferably thick
Eggs
Milk
Vanilla
Cinnamon
Nutmeg (optional)
Butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or other toppings of your choice including preserves or fresh fruit
Griddle, nonstick, or seasoned iron pan
Crack some eggs into a shallow bowl. Add a little milk and a droozle* of vanilla, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Whisk them together until they are blended but don't keep going after that! Soak the bread according to your own design, making sure that both sides are coated.
Cook the bread over medium-low heat until the first side is firm, then flip and do the other side. Serve with whipped butter and a dusting of powdered sugar, warmed maple syrup on the side.
Or serve with fresh fruit. Or use raisin bread (Costco has a WONDERFUL raisin bread that tastes as raisin bread should, not like Sunmaid's lifeless variety.) Or use your egg toast to make a jam sandwich.
This is particularly good with a side of hash browns. The salty potato crunch is a perfect counter. And don't forget the orange juice.
So— tell me, just what am I doing wrong? Answer in the comments, and anyone who has worked at a diner will earn a virtual cookie by telling me what temperature they run the griddle at. Medium? Hot?
Also consider these recipes, variations on the theme:
Almond French Toast
Applesauce French Toast
Prepare-it-the-night-before Baked French Toast
*Liquid measurements go up in size like this: mist, spritz, squirt, drizzle, droozle, glug, shot (actual measurement). That is not a family phrasing and I have no idea why I came up with it, but it works for me.
Campfire Cooking
It's summer, and for summer my mind turns toward camping. My family used to camp all of the time, and the scent of forest is a sure path to memory.
And I still remember some of the recipes from when we went camping. Admittedly, in most of the West you can't have open flames right now, but there are still some places that allow fires in firepits, and quite honestly, this is not backpacking cooking. This is campsite-with-parking cooking. This is also the first night of camping, or at most the next day.
To begin with, you need a good hot bed of coals. Not charcoal, coals. Do you know how to build a fire? Remember that before you build your fire, you should have the means to put it out nearby. This means a shovel and a bucket of sand or water at the minimum. When you do put it out, you should get it to the point where you can stick your hand in the coals.
If it seems like I'm harping on this, please realize that the current state of our forests is best described as "tinderbox." I've also fought a very small wildfire that threatened to become a very large one if it weren't dealt with, and with people who didn't know how to put out a fire. If you're going to play with fire, know what you're doing.
That said, a contained fire is good for cooking in. Many campsites have stone- or metal-lined firepits available, and the simple task of raking duff— the loose soil that is mostly made of decomposed pine needles— and branches away from the pit is more than sufficient for safety. The most efficient type of fire for getting coals is a teepee-style fire. See the link above. It burns hot and fast and gets you a bed of coals within twenty minutes or so.
Then it's time for your Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is cast iron and is designed to sit on and in hot coals. If you're going camping with one, try and find a sturdy iron hook to go with it. Some fireplace pokers work well for this job. The appropriate hook should be able to catch the handle of the pot itself, as well as being able to catch and hold the handle of the lid in a steady fashion.
If you've put the coals on top, you don't want to accidentally dump them in your food.
On a practical note, if you really don't want to clean the inside of your Dutch oven, a lining of aluminum foil works farily well, especially if you press it firmly against the sides to smooth it out. Be careful when serving so you don't end up with foil slivers in your food.
Okay, now for the recipes. First off comes a wonderful heart-attack, the kind of thing that sounds appalling unless you've been hiking all day at altitude, in which case it sounds wonderful.
Corned Beef Hash
You will need:
Two large cans or four small cans or corned beef hash, with one can that has had its label removed and the outside of the can washed well
Fresh eggs (you can have eggs in a cooler without ice for one or two days without risking anything if you bought them the day you left)
Put the corned beef hash into the Dutch oven and smooth out the top. Use the bottom of the cleaned can to press regular depressions into the hash. Carefully crack an egg into each depression. Cover the oven and place it in the coals. Put coals on top to cook faster. Check starting ten minutes after placing in the coals; your dinner is done when the eggs are firmly set and the hash is warmed through. It's overdone if the edges are black. Try not to do that.
Serves about six, fewer if there are teenagers involved.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
You will need:
4 Tbsp. butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple rings (you may have extra)
Maraschino cherries (optional)
Yellow cake mix
Water
Eggs
Oil
Melt the butter in the Dutch oven. Run it up the sides; it will help the cake to release. Sprinkle the brown sugar across the bottom. Carefully place pineapple rings across the bottom as evenly as you can. Save the juice. If using cherries, place one each in the centers of the pineapple rings.
Mix the cake according to the box directions except substitute pineapple juice for up to 2/3 of the recommended amount of water. Pour over the pineapple rings; cover the oven and place in the coals. Cover the oven with coals; bake for about 45 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched.
If you've brought a cake tester along, more power to you. However, err toward the slightly undercooked side, as iron holds heat and your cake will still cook a bit once removed from the heat.
Remove the oven from the coals, crack the lid, and let it sit for ten minutes. Run a spatula around the outside edge to loosen the cake. Put parchment paper or foil along the inside of the lid, replace the lid, turn the oven upside-down and pull off the bottom. With any luck, the cake will come out in one piece, but remember that fragments are always tasty too!
There are hundreds more Dutch oven recipes at sites such as Byron's Dutch Oven Recipes, Scoutarama.com, and the MacScouter.
However, I don't want you to think that a Dutch oven is the ONLY way to cook camp food. Cooking on a stick is always a popular method, though please please please do NOT use a stick you just found unless you are entirely certain of what it comes from. There are several plants whose wood can impart poison to cooked food, the most dangerous of which is oleander, a popular decorative shrub which is highly toxic and can be fatal. Use toasting forks for your marshmallows. My family's favorite trick was to use bamboo branches from our home stand; when the end got inevitably sticky, you could cut it down with a pocketknife and it would still be slim and smooth.
But perhaps a better trick for kids is a hobo pack. Yes, I know that's very un-PC of me, but that's what it's called.
Hobo Pack
You will need:
Thick aluminum foil (or a double or triple thickness of the thinner variety)
Ground beef
Potatoes
Carrots
Onion
Salt, pepper, and other favorite spices
This is the simplest trick of all. You put your beef and your thinly-sliced vegetables all muddled together on the foil, spice it, wrap it in the foil, double the edges and crimp them, and place in the coals. They'll cook in a short period of time— check after seven minutes, but they should take about fifteen to twenty minutes.
Baked Potato
Prick lots of holes in the potato. Wrap in aluminum foil and cover with coals. The potato will bake in forty minutes to an hour, depending on its size. Serve with salt, butter and pepper.
And for dessert, there's the Ice-Creamless Banana Split
You will need:
Aluminum foil
Bananas in their peels
Chocolate chips
Mini marshmallows
Take a knife and carefully cut a slit in the banana through the peel. Stuff it with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Wrap the business in foil and place in the coals; it should be done in five to ten minutes or until the child's patience runs out.
Huh. I want to go camping.
And I still remember some of the recipes from when we went camping. Admittedly, in most of the West you can't have open flames right now, but there are still some places that allow fires in firepits, and quite honestly, this is not backpacking cooking. This is campsite-with-parking cooking. This is also the first night of camping, or at most the next day.
To begin with, you need a good hot bed of coals. Not charcoal, coals. Do you know how to build a fire? Remember that before you build your fire, you should have the means to put it out nearby. This means a shovel and a bucket of sand or water at the minimum. When you do put it out, you should get it to the point where you can stick your hand in the coals.
If it seems like I'm harping on this, please realize that the current state of our forests is best described as "tinderbox." I've also fought a very small wildfire that threatened to become a very large one if it weren't dealt with, and with people who didn't know how to put out a fire. If you're going to play with fire, know what you're doing.
That said, a contained fire is good for cooking in. Many campsites have stone- or metal-lined firepits available, and the simple task of raking duff— the loose soil that is mostly made of decomposed pine needles— and branches away from the pit is more than sufficient for safety. The most efficient type of fire for getting coals is a teepee-style fire. See the link above. It burns hot and fast and gets you a bed of coals within twenty minutes or so.
Then it's time for your Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is cast iron and is designed to sit on and in hot coals. If you're going camping with one, try and find a sturdy iron hook to go with it. Some fireplace pokers work well for this job. The appropriate hook should be able to catch the handle of the pot itself, as well as being able to catch and hold the handle of the lid in a steady fashion.
If you've put the coals on top, you don't want to accidentally dump them in your food.
On a practical note, if you really don't want to clean the inside of your Dutch oven, a lining of aluminum foil works farily well, especially if you press it firmly against the sides to smooth it out. Be careful when serving so you don't end up with foil slivers in your food.
Okay, now for the recipes. First off comes a wonderful heart-attack, the kind of thing that sounds appalling unless you've been hiking all day at altitude, in which case it sounds wonderful.
Corned Beef Hash
You will need:
Two large cans or four small cans or corned beef hash, with one can that has had its label removed and the outside of the can washed well
Fresh eggs (you can have eggs in a cooler without ice for one or two days without risking anything if you bought them the day you left)
Put the corned beef hash into the Dutch oven and smooth out the top. Use the bottom of the cleaned can to press regular depressions into the hash. Carefully crack an egg into each depression. Cover the oven and place it in the coals. Put coals on top to cook faster. Check starting ten minutes after placing in the coals; your dinner is done when the eggs are firmly set and the hash is warmed through. It's overdone if the edges are black. Try not to do that.
Serves about six, fewer if there are teenagers involved.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
You will need:
4 Tbsp. butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple rings (you may have extra)
Maraschino cherries (optional)
Yellow cake mix
Water
Eggs
Oil
Melt the butter in the Dutch oven. Run it up the sides; it will help the cake to release. Sprinkle the brown sugar across the bottom. Carefully place pineapple rings across the bottom as evenly as you can. Save the juice. If using cherries, place one each in the centers of the pineapple rings.
Mix the cake according to the box directions except substitute pineapple juice for up to 2/3 of the recommended amount of water. Pour over the pineapple rings; cover the oven and place in the coals. Cover the oven with coals; bake for about 45 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when touched.
If you've brought a cake tester along, more power to you. However, err toward the slightly undercooked side, as iron holds heat and your cake will still cook a bit once removed from the heat.
Remove the oven from the coals, crack the lid, and let it sit for ten minutes. Run a spatula around the outside edge to loosen the cake. Put parchment paper or foil along the inside of the lid, replace the lid, turn the oven upside-down and pull off the bottom. With any luck, the cake will come out in one piece, but remember that fragments are always tasty too!
There are hundreds more Dutch oven recipes at sites such as Byron's Dutch Oven Recipes, Scoutarama.com, and the MacScouter.
However, I don't want you to think that a Dutch oven is the ONLY way to cook camp food. Cooking on a stick is always a popular method, though please please please do NOT use a stick you just found unless you are entirely certain of what it comes from. There are several plants whose wood can impart poison to cooked food, the most dangerous of which is oleander, a popular decorative shrub which is highly toxic and can be fatal. Use toasting forks for your marshmallows. My family's favorite trick was to use bamboo branches from our home stand; when the end got inevitably sticky, you could cut it down with a pocketknife and it would still be slim and smooth.
But perhaps a better trick for kids is a hobo pack. Yes, I know that's very un-PC of me, but that's what it's called.
Hobo Pack
You will need:
Thick aluminum foil (or a double or triple thickness of the thinner variety)
Ground beef
Potatoes
Carrots
Onion
Salt, pepper, and other favorite spices
This is the simplest trick of all. You put your beef and your thinly-sliced vegetables all muddled together on the foil, spice it, wrap it in the foil, double the edges and crimp them, and place in the coals. They'll cook in a short period of time— check after seven minutes, but they should take about fifteen to twenty minutes.
Baked Potato
Prick lots of holes in the potato. Wrap in aluminum foil and cover with coals. The potato will bake in forty minutes to an hour, depending on its size. Serve with salt, butter and pepper.
And for dessert, there's the Ice-Creamless Banana Split
You will need:
Aluminum foil
Bananas in their peels
Chocolate chips
Mini marshmallows
Take a knife and carefully cut a slit in the banana through the peel. Stuff it with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Wrap the business in foil and place in the coals; it should be done in five to ten minutes or until the child's patience runs out.
Huh. I want to go camping.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Rainier Cherries
Rainier cherries, $3.99 a pound at the local chain.
They are lovely cherries, with a much different flavor than Bing cherries, less intese and more plummy. But not quite plums, either. Eat them straight if you like.
Or... and this was my inspiration last night... slice them up and have them with a little honey over waffles.
Oh, yeah.
They are lovely cherries, with a much different flavor than Bing cherries, less intese and more plummy. But not quite plums, either. Eat them straight if you like.
Or... and this was my inspiration last night... slice them up and have them with a little honey over waffles.
Oh, yeah.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Reverse-Engineered Salad
Today was one of those days where you run around a lot to very little purpose. In short, I was told to load a van, drive home and change into nice clothes, drive back (did I mention it's a fifteen-mile drive?) and help out with a photo shoot... and it turned out that I wasn't even necessary, since the second setup was having problems and we turned out to not need it anyway.
What I got out of it was a lot of drive time and a fairly nice convention-center lunch. With a salad. In a takeout box with chopsticks.
It seemed pretty simple but somewhat unconventional. So here's my attempt to reconstruct it.
You will need:
Small cucumber (preferably under an inch and a half in diameter)
Daikon radish (preferred in Japanese cuisine; try an Asian market)
Kelp (no... really)
Rice wine vinegar
Shrimp, cooked and ready to eat, then chilled
Slice the cucumber and the daikon radish very, very thin. If you've got a mandoline or slicer-dicer or whatever they call it, use that. You want slices of no more than a millimeter or two. Chop the kelp into little pieces. In a shallow bowl, soak them in rice wine vinegar for five to fifteen minutes. (I am fairly sure that you could leave them soaking from morning without damage, but let's call that good.)
Serve in small portions with shrimp on top. Rice wine vinegar has a gentler flavor than white vinegar, so serve with something that complements a faintly bitter taste.
What I got out of it was a lot of drive time and a fairly nice convention-center lunch. With a salad. In a takeout box with chopsticks.
It seemed pretty simple but somewhat unconventional. So here's my attempt to reconstruct it.
You will need:
Small cucumber (preferably under an inch and a half in diameter)
Daikon radish (preferred in Japanese cuisine; try an Asian market)
Kelp (no... really)
Rice wine vinegar
Shrimp, cooked and ready to eat, then chilled
Slice the cucumber and the daikon radish very, very thin. If you've got a mandoline or slicer-dicer or whatever they call it, use that. You want slices of no more than a millimeter or two. Chop the kelp into little pieces. In a shallow bowl, soak them in rice wine vinegar for five to fifteen minutes. (I am fairly sure that you could leave them soaking from morning without damage, but let's call that good.)
Serve in small portions with shrimp on top. Rice wine vinegar has a gentler flavor than white vinegar, so serve with something that complements a faintly bitter taste.
Monday, October 31, 2005
We Attack the Mayor With Hummus
You will need:
A food processor
Canned garbanzo beans
Tahini paste*
Garlic
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Water, salt, and pepper
*If you do not have tahini paste, substitute peanut butter. Real peanut butter, the kind where the ingredients list consists of peanuts, and possibly salt. Thin it with a little sesame or olive oil and the taste will be virtually identical to the tahini paste. It will, however, set off nut allergies where tahini will not. This is VERY important (d'oh!)
In the food processor, combine one can of drained garbanzo beans, about two tablespoons of tahini paste, minced or powdered garlic as desired, and a couple of droozles of olive oil. Blend until smooth, at which point you will be able to determine how much water to add to give it a proper consistency. Add in lemon juice and then gradually add salt and pepper to taste.
If you like, consider adding roasted red pepper or black olives to the mix, or separate your blend into sections and do all three types.
Eat with pita chips, which are also quite easy to make.
You will need:
Baking sheets
Pitas in abundance
Olive oil, preferably in a spray bottle or squirt bottle
"Italian seasoning" spice
Kosher salt
Cut the pitas into wedges, and separate the sides. With the insides up, lightly coat with olive oil, then sprinkle spices and salt on top. Bake at 300º for ten minutes or less, when chips are golden brown. Experience tells me that a darker brown is still tasty but rougher on the teeth.
A food processor
Canned garbanzo beans
Tahini paste*
Garlic
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Water, salt, and pepper
*If you do not have tahini paste, substitute peanut butter. Real peanut butter, the kind where the ingredients list consists of peanuts, and possibly salt. Thin it with a little sesame or olive oil and the taste will be virtually identical to the tahini paste. It will, however, set off nut allergies where tahini will not. This is VERY important (d'oh!)
In the food processor, combine one can of drained garbanzo beans, about two tablespoons of tahini paste, minced or powdered garlic as desired, and a couple of droozles of olive oil. Blend until smooth, at which point you will be able to determine how much water to add to give it a proper consistency. Add in lemon juice and then gradually add salt and pepper to taste.
If you like, consider adding roasted red pepper or black olives to the mix, or separate your blend into sections and do all three types.
Eat with pita chips, which are also quite easy to make.
You will need:
Baking sheets
Pitas in abundance
Olive oil, preferably in a spray bottle or squirt bottle
"Italian seasoning" spice
Kosher salt
Cut the pitas into wedges, and separate the sides. With the insides up, lightly coat with olive oil, then sprinkle spices and salt on top. Bake at 300º for ten minutes or less, when chips are golden brown. Experience tells me that a darker brown is still tasty but rougher on the teeth.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Not a Middle Eastern Dish
The other night, I was hungry. When I get hungry, I don't think so well. I knew we had plenty of ingredients on hand but I wasn't quite sure how we should put them together. (I had been thinking we were going to have burritos, but the pack of tortillas was one short!)
So I asked Rob, and he came up with the following:
Couscous (1 box)
Half of a small tube of sausage
Bouillon cube (chicken in this case)
Onion
Olive oil
In a microwaveable dish, put the amount of water required on the box of couscous. Drop in the bouillon cube; float some olive oil on top. In general, coucous comes with a spice pack so stir that in as well. (If it does not, you'll want to add in a little salt and pepper— lemon pepper's a pretty good blend— and maybe a few other pork-friendly spices of your choice.) Microwave the water until just boiling, then dump in the couscous and cover.
Slice up about a quarter of a yellow onion and drop it in with the sausage. Fry until cooked, then stir in to the couscous. Serve immediately.
It occurs to me that you could do quite well by throwing in some sliced green apple. Or perhaps roasted red pepper or cooked tomatoes. Mmmm.
Serves two very hungry people or more moderate appetites of four.
So I asked Rob, and he came up with the following:
Couscous (1 box)
Half of a small tube of sausage
Bouillon cube (chicken in this case)
Onion
Olive oil
In a microwaveable dish, put the amount of water required on the box of couscous. Drop in the bouillon cube; float some olive oil on top. In general, coucous comes with a spice pack so stir that in as well. (If it does not, you'll want to add in a little salt and pepper— lemon pepper's a pretty good blend— and maybe a few other pork-friendly spices of your choice.) Microwave the water until just boiling, then dump in the couscous and cover.
Slice up about a quarter of a yellow onion and drop it in with the sausage. Fry until cooked, then stir in to the couscous. Serve immediately.
It occurs to me that you could do quite well by throwing in some sliced green apple. Or perhaps roasted red pepper or cooked tomatoes. Mmmm.
Serves two very hungry people or more moderate appetites of four.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Snickerdoodle Drink
I don't believe I've posted this before. It's the sort of thing you come up with when you work in a café and you're really, really bored.
You will need:
Milk
Chocolate syrup, dark for preference
Vanilla syrup
Almond syrup
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Whipped cream
I made this with a steamer wand. You can heat the milk in the microwave but be very very careful to not boil it.
Heat the milk until just shy of boiling. Add in chocolate syrup until the color is nice and dark. Yes, you can make this with hot chocolate mix but it isn't as good and is often too sweet. Then you add 1/2 measure of vanilla syrup— this varies by brand, so a "measure" is what you'd put into a drink to make a flavored latte— and 1/4 measure of almond syrup. Stir in some cinnamon and nutmeg, then top with whipped cream and dust that with cinnamon.
And by the way... don't make this with skim. You're only fooling yourself if you do.
You will need:
Milk
Chocolate syrup, dark for preference
Vanilla syrup
Almond syrup
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Whipped cream
I made this with a steamer wand. You can heat the milk in the microwave but be very very careful to not boil it.
Heat the milk until just shy of boiling. Add in chocolate syrup until the color is nice and dark. Yes, you can make this with hot chocolate mix but it isn't as good and is often too sweet. Then you add 1/2 measure of vanilla syrup— this varies by brand, so a "measure" is what you'd put into a drink to make a flavored latte— and 1/4 measure of almond syrup. Stir in some cinnamon and nutmeg, then top with whipped cream and dust that with cinnamon.
And by the way... don't make this with skim. You're only fooling yourself if you do.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Danish Puff Coffee Cake
You will need:
bottom—
1 cup flour
1 cube butter or margarine
2 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. baking powder
top—
1 cup water
1 cube butter or margarine
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 cup flour
3 eggs
glaze—
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp warm water
1 tsp. almond flavoring
Bottom: Cut butter into 1 cup flour and baking powder until well blended. Sprinkle with water; mix with fork (or pastry blender.) Divide in half; pat dough into two long strips, 3x12 inches, on ungreased cookie sheet 3 inches apart.
Top: Combine water and butter; bring to a boil. Add flavoring and remove from heat. Quickly beat in the flour with an electric mixer. Make sure there are no lumps. Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously after each.
Cover your pastry strips with this mixture, spreading over the sides and ends. Bake about 60 minutes at 375º until crisp and golden brown.
Glaze: Mix it; spread on the coffee cakes while they are warm. Sprinkle with chopped almonds if so desired.
bottom—
1 cup flour
1 cube butter or margarine
2 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. baking powder
top—
1 cup water
1 cube butter or margarine
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 cup flour
3 eggs
glaze—
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp warm water
1 tsp. almond flavoring
Bottom: Cut butter into 1 cup flour and baking powder until well blended. Sprinkle with water; mix with fork (or pastry blender.) Divide in half; pat dough into two long strips, 3x12 inches, on ungreased cookie sheet 3 inches apart.
Top: Combine water and butter; bring to a boil. Add flavoring and remove from heat. Quickly beat in the flour with an electric mixer. Make sure there are no lumps. Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously after each.
Cover your pastry strips with this mixture, spreading over the sides and ends. Bake about 60 minutes at 375º until crisp and golden brown.
Glaze: Mix it; spread on the coffee cakes while they are warm. Sprinkle with chopped almonds if so desired.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Frikadeller
I should mention that while my mother-in-law has this lovely meatball recipe, her usual method of making meatballs is to go to the frozen food section of the supermarket and get the Armour brand.
You will need:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. lean ground pork
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 small grated onion
2 eggs
1 cup milk
4 tbsp. butter or margarine
Mix the first six ingredients. Add eggs, milk, and butter. Form into eight patties [I thought these were meat BALLS] and fry in butter until brown. Turn down the heat; cover and cook for another half hour.
This goes really well with mashed potatoes.
You will need:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. lean ground pork
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 small grated onion
2 eggs
1 cup milk
4 tbsp. butter or margarine
Mix the first six ingredients. Add eggs, milk, and butter. Form into eight patties [I thought these were meat BALLS] and fry in butter until brown. Turn down the heat; cover and cook for another half hour.
This goes really well with mashed potatoes.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Aebleskivers
My recent trip to Oregon featured a breakfast of the all-too-addictive aebleskivers. They're little sweet pancake-waffle balls that you break open and serve with jam, a legacy of Junction City's Scandahoovian heritage.
I asked my mother-in-law for the recipe, and she replied that a certain church cookbook she'd given me had the recipe. So I got home, had a look, and went to my husband to ask "which one?" After he'd stopped laughing (because how many places would have a single church cookbook featuring more than one version of an obscure recipe?) he told me his mother probably used neither of them, but her own arcane style. So here's a combined version of the recipe, with some notes along the way.
You will need:
An aebleskiver pan (which has seven semi-circular depressions in it.) This has to be a heavy-duty pan as a cheap pan will cook unevenly.
All recipe variants denoted by / ; use either the ingredients before the slash, or the ones after, not both.
2 cups flour
2 cups milk/2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp. baking powder/1 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt/1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, separated/3 eggs, separated
1 tbsp. sugar/2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring/applesauce
Melted butter or shortening
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Beat the yolks, then add sugar, salt, and milk/buttermilk. Add the flour, almond flavoring, and baking powder/soda. Fold in the beaten egg whites.
Heat the aebleskiver pan until hot. Drop some butter/shortening into each depression and fill 2/3 full with batter. The second recipe requires you to drop some applesauce onto the dough (carefully). As bubbles form in the balls (like with pancakes), turn with a knitting needle or fork. Keep turning until aebleskiver is spherical and brown on all sides; if you are using the knitting needle you can use it to test for doneness.
Serve hot, with maple syrup, powdered sugar, or by breaking it open and filling it with jam. Very addictive.
Rob notes that this is essentially a fancy soft waffle, so if you'd like to experiment, try a waffle mix and cut down the wet ingredients (water & oil) by a third, substitute some applesauce, or add some sugar.
Or just go to Junction City's Scandanavian Festival, held every August, and buy the danged things.
And because you're all dying to know, it's pronounced "Ay-ble-skee-ver."
[Comments copied from old blog]:
Alena made this comment,
I bought a pan that I have been told is an aebleskiver but it isn't round at the bottom, it is flat, but round edges. In other words, it would make more of a pancake shape than a donut hole shape. It is only (at most) 1/2 inch deep. Is it still an aebleskiver pan?
Bernadette made this comment,
Probably not, but you could make silver dollar pancakes in it with the aebleskiver recipe and I bet it would still taste good!
Stephanie made this comment,
hello, my family is from denmark and Aebleskivers have always been something that we've always eaten. the more traditional Aebleskiver is the first one that was post without buttermilk and instead of 2 eggs, use 3 eggs and we also use 1/4 tsp. almond flavouring and 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract, no imitation though! another thing i noticed is the recipe doesn't say to put melted butter in the recipe... i always put 4 tbsp. of melted butter in my batter, and i also put butter inside the Aebleskivers when they are done with either blackberry preserve or raspberry preserve. so, try it with the extra egg and the almond and vanilla and the 4 tbsp. of melted real butter, no margarine! one last thing, the recipe doesn't say to quarter turn the aebleskivers, when i was a kid my mother would let me turn and the first time i tried i had tried turning all the way over and not quarter turning and they didn't turn out right... so, now you quarter turn and make sure you do it about 20 seconds after they go into the hot pan, you don't want to wait too long or there won't be enough batter that is still wet to go all the way around in each quarter turn. :) if you want to let me know how they turned out, or if you have questions or anything, you can email me at stephie_pie@hellokitty.com
I asked my mother-in-law for the recipe, and she replied that a certain church cookbook she'd given me had the recipe. So I got home, had a look, and went to my husband to ask "which one?" After he'd stopped laughing (because how many places would have a single church cookbook featuring more than one version of an obscure recipe?) he told me his mother probably used neither of them, but her own arcane style. So here's a combined version of the recipe, with some notes along the way.
You will need:
An aebleskiver pan (which has seven semi-circular depressions in it.) This has to be a heavy-duty pan as a cheap pan will cook unevenly.
All recipe variants denoted by / ; use either the ingredients before the slash, or the ones after, not both.
2 cups flour
2 cups milk/2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp. baking powder/1 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt/1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, separated/3 eggs, separated
1 tbsp. sugar/2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring/applesauce
Melted butter or shortening
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Beat the yolks, then add sugar, salt, and milk/buttermilk. Add the flour, almond flavoring, and baking powder/soda. Fold in the beaten egg whites.
Heat the aebleskiver pan until hot. Drop some butter/shortening into each depression and fill 2/3 full with batter. The second recipe requires you to drop some applesauce onto the dough (carefully). As bubbles form in the balls (like with pancakes), turn with a knitting needle or fork. Keep turning until aebleskiver is spherical and brown on all sides; if you are using the knitting needle you can use it to test for doneness.
Serve hot, with maple syrup, powdered sugar, or by breaking it open and filling it with jam. Very addictive.
Rob notes that this is essentially a fancy soft waffle, so if you'd like to experiment, try a waffle mix and cut down the wet ingredients (water & oil) by a third, substitute some applesauce, or add some sugar.
Or just go to Junction City's Scandanavian Festival, held every August, and buy the danged things.
And because you're all dying to know, it's pronounced "Ay-ble-skee-ver."
[Comments copied from old blog]:
Alena made this comment,
I bought a pan that I have been told is an aebleskiver but it isn't round at the bottom, it is flat, but round edges. In other words, it would make more of a pancake shape than a donut hole shape. It is only (at most) 1/2 inch deep. Is it still an aebleskiver pan?
Bernadette made this comment,
Probably not, but you could make silver dollar pancakes in it with the aebleskiver recipe and I bet it would still taste good!
Stephanie made this comment,
hello, my family is from denmark and Aebleskivers have always been something that we've always eaten. the more traditional Aebleskiver is the first one that was post without buttermilk and instead of 2 eggs, use 3 eggs and we also use 1/4 tsp. almond flavouring and 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract, no imitation though! another thing i noticed is the recipe doesn't say to put melted butter in the recipe... i always put 4 tbsp. of melted butter in my batter, and i also put butter inside the Aebleskivers when they are done with either blackberry preserve or raspberry preserve. so, try it with the extra egg and the almond and vanilla and the 4 tbsp. of melted real butter, no margarine! one last thing, the recipe doesn't say to quarter turn the aebleskivers, when i was a kid my mother would let me turn and the first time i tried i had tried turning all the way over and not quarter turning and they didn't turn out right... so, now you quarter turn and make sure you do it about 20 seconds after they go into the hot pan, you don't want to wait too long or there won't be enough batter that is still wet to go all the way around in each quarter turn. :) if you want to let me know how they turned out, or if you have questions or anything, you can email me at stephie_pie@hellokitty.com
Monday, October 24, 2005
Bernadette's Perfect Cranberry Sauce For Those Who Think They Hate It
I am always surprised when I find out how many people don't like cranberry sauce. They've usually only been exposed to the canned variety, which I like anyway, but which is kind of boring all by itself. They also don't seem to realize that it is called cranberry sauce for a reason, and that it is meant as a spread for turkey. (It works especially well with slightly dry turkey.) Anyway, the recipe for basic cranberry sauce is appallingly simple, and goes like this:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 12oz. pkg of cranberries
Put water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cranberries and reduce heat to low boil; cook until all of the cranberries have popped, stirring gently. Cool before serving.
That's it. That's everything. That's all that silly canned stuff is: sugar, water, and cranberries. If you want a jellied version, you strain it while it's warm and you're done.
That's just screaming out for improvement...
I've been playing around with this for years, and have come up with a modular version that you can adjust to suit your family's tastes. My own version is listed below, and is perfect for those who think they hate cranberry sauce for one reason:
They've told me so.
Liquid group:
Filtered water
Orange juice
Cranberry juice
Raspberry juice
Pomegranate juice (only use as one quarter of the liquid amount; other three quarters should be water or other liquid)
*Apple juice
Sugar group:
White sugar
Brown sugar
Natural sugar
Honey
Molasses (use sparingly)
Fruit group:
Cranberries (use full amount)
Mandarin bits
*Apple bits
*Dark Raisins
Spices:
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Allspice
*Cloves
*Ginger
Follow the above recipe with the liquids making a total of one cup, the sugars making one cup (go easy on the honey, though), and the fruit bits tossed in as extras to the cranberries. Dust with the spices of your choice. To keep the cranberries from splattering all over your stove, gently pop them with the back of the spoon against the side of the pot.
The *starred ingredients go together but not with the other ingredients. Don't go mixing apples and oranges.
My personal recipe is a double amount; one cup water, one cup orange juice, one cup white sugar, 2/3 cup brown, various squirts of honey and molasses, two packages of cranberries, lots of cinnamon and a couple of dashes of nutmeg. Mandarin sections added as available; remove as much pith as humanly possible. Like I said, I've had people tell me they hate cranberry sauce but like mine, so take that as you will. I personally eat the leftovers for breakfast. And on waffles. Mmmm. Cranberry waffles.
Anyone who says you should use salt or pepper (!) is a heathen.
This year I'm making it for my work, as well as for my family. More leftovers for me!
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 12oz. pkg of cranberries
Put water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cranberries and reduce heat to low boil; cook until all of the cranberries have popped, stirring gently. Cool before serving.
That's it. That's everything. That's all that silly canned stuff is: sugar, water, and cranberries. If you want a jellied version, you strain it while it's warm and you're done.
That's just screaming out for improvement...
I've been playing around with this for years, and have come up with a modular version that you can adjust to suit your family's tastes. My own version is listed below, and is perfect for those who think they hate cranberry sauce for one reason:
They've told me so.
Liquid group:
Filtered water
Orange juice
Cranberry juice
Raspberry juice
Pomegranate juice (only use as one quarter of the liquid amount; other three quarters should be water or other liquid)
*Apple juice
Sugar group:
White sugar
Brown sugar
Natural sugar
Honey
Molasses (use sparingly)
Fruit group:
Cranberries (use full amount)
Mandarin bits
*Apple bits
*Dark Raisins
Spices:
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Allspice
*Cloves
*Ginger
Follow the above recipe with the liquids making a total of one cup, the sugars making one cup (go easy on the honey, though), and the fruit bits tossed in as extras to the cranberries. Dust with the spices of your choice. To keep the cranberries from splattering all over your stove, gently pop them with the back of the spoon against the side of the pot.
The *starred ingredients go together but not with the other ingredients. Don't go mixing apples and oranges.
My personal recipe is a double amount; one cup water, one cup orange juice, one cup white sugar, 2/3 cup brown, various squirts of honey and molasses, two packages of cranberries, lots of cinnamon and a couple of dashes of nutmeg. Mandarin sections added as available; remove as much pith as humanly possible. Like I said, I've had people tell me they hate cranberry sauce but like mine, so take that as you will. I personally eat the leftovers for breakfast. And on waffles. Mmmm. Cranberry waffles.
Anyone who says you should use salt or pepper (!) is a heathen.
This year I'm making it for my work, as well as for my family. More leftovers for me!
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Blame It On the Vinaigrette Salad Redux
Last year, I created a recipe called Blame It On the Vinaigrette Salad. Since then I've had the chance to refine it, and so the newly perfected recipe needs to make its debut.
You will need:
Spinach leaves
Bell pepper (I prefer yellow, red, or orange; check what is in the best shape in the produce dept.)
Celery (optional)
Mushrooms (optional)
Tart green apple (such as Granny Smith)
Green onion
Pomegranate seeds in season OR dried cranberries (cherry or orange flavors work well)
Crumbled feta cheese (vitally important to keep the salad from being too bitter)
Walnuts
Raspberry -Walnut Vinaigrette
Chop
Cut
Slice
Add
Seed
Needs walnuts
Alternate variety with cranberries.
You will need:
Spinach leaves
Bell pepper (I prefer yellow, red, or orange; check what is in the best shape in the produce dept.)
Celery (optional)
Mushrooms (optional)
Tart green apple (such as Granny Smith)
Green onion
Pomegranate seeds in season OR dried cranberries (cherry or orange flavors work well)
Crumbled feta cheese (vitally important to keep the salad from being too bitter)
Walnuts
Raspberry -Walnut Vinaigrette
Chop
Cut
Slice
Add
Seed
Needs walnuts
Alternate variety with cranberries.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Smoooooothie
New blender means new opportunities. Judging from the prevalence of beverage bars with whipped drinks, smoothies are the most popular game in town.
The rules of the game are simple:
1. Make sure your blender can handle ice. The smell of burning machinery is very unappetizing.
2. Always, always, always put the liquid in first. This also helps to keep the machinery death away. (Though perhaps a $400 blender from Blendtech wouldn't do that, it's still a good idea. Yes, that price would be worth it. That's a VERY good company.)
3. A quick rule of thumb— which may need a little tweaking— is to have enough liquid (and binders) to fill your glass halfway, and then enough loose ice cubes to fill your glass completely. Obviously, this breaks down when you don't have pre-mixed concentrates to work with, but it's a good fudge factor.
Then all you need is a little imagination. I've been experimenting, and here are a couple of recipes I've been playing with.
Berry Smoothie
You will need:
1/2 cup orange juice
1 single serving berry or cherry yogurt
Frozen strawberries or raspberries (frozen cranberries are optional)
1 tsp wheat germ (optional; good for helping to lower cholesterol)
Dump the ingredients in the blender in the order given; pulse blend on high until smooth. (The frozen berries are in lieu of ice, and work very well.)
Black and Blue Smoothie
for those days when you've banged your elbow and stubbed your toe
You will need:
1/2 cup lemonade, or water and lemon juice
1 single serving of blueberry yogurt
Frozen blackberries (frozen nectarines or skinned peaches optional)
1 tsp wheat germ (optional)
Again, blend in the order given. Add frozen berries if it seems too thin. It is best to always go from thin to thick; most blenders won't blend in new liquid very well.
Mocha Smoothie (approximate; I don't drink coffee)
You will need:
1/2 cup strong coffee or two shots fresh espresso
4 oz. milk (about one glug, or if using an espresso machine, top off the shot)
1/2 single serving plain or vanilla yogurt (if you have yogurt powder, substitute 1/4 cup and add it last)
16 or 20 oz. glass of ice
Chocolate syrup
Ground cinnamon (optional)
The amount of chocolate necessary is dependent upon you. The cinnamon is good for drawing the bitterness from coffee. (The things you learn as a barista.)
Friday, October 21, 2005
Orzo Salad
My sister served this salad to us this summer, and I have been dutifully begging for the recipe ever since.
You will need:
1 & 1/2 boxes orzo
1 & 1/2 bunches green onions, chopped
3/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
7 tbsp fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp olive oil
3 lbs uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, or 2 lbs imitation crab
1 & 1/2 English hot house cucumbers, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4 in pieces (regular cucumbers can be substituted)
2 baskets cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 hot house cucumber, sliced into rounds
Fresh dill sprigs
Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add green onions, feta cheese, chopped dill, lemon juice and oil; mix well. Cook shrimp in large pot of boiling salted water until pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water to cool; drain well. Mix into salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Mix cucumber pieces and 3/4 of cherry tomatoes into salad. Transfer to clean large bowl. Arrange cucumber slices and remaining chery tomato halves around edge of bowl. Garnish salad with dill slices and serve.
You will need:
1 & 1/2 boxes orzo
1 & 1/2 bunches green onions, chopped
3/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
7 tbsp fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp olive oil
3 lbs uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, or 2 lbs imitation crab
1 & 1/2 English hot house cucumbers, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4 in pieces (regular cucumbers can be substituted)
2 baskets cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 hot house cucumber, sliced into rounds
Fresh dill sprigs
Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add green onions, feta cheese, chopped dill, lemon juice and oil; mix well. Cook shrimp in large pot of boiling salted water until pink and just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water to cool; drain well. Mix into salad. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Mix cucumber pieces and 3/4 of cherry tomatoes into salad. Transfer to clean large bowl. Arrange cucumber slices and remaining chery tomato halves around edge of bowl. Garnish salad with dill slices and serve.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Hummus
Gah! Before you know it, life catches up and leaves you behind on entries!
Oops.
Well, I've been craving hummus lately. It's quite tasty, you know. My favorite is Trader Joe's version with their pitas... but since this is a recipe, perhaps I should tell you how to make it, hmmm?
Via Cooking.com
You will need:
1 3/4 cups garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
6 cups water
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 cups tahini paste
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pita bread, cut into wedges
Wash garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and soak in cold water for 24 hours. (Obviously, canned garbanzo beans will not need this preparation step.) Place garbanzo beans, with their soaking liquid, in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 hours, skimming off any debris that may surface. Drain garbanzo beans, reserving 1/4 cup liquid, and refresh in cold water.
Process until smooth. Add garlic, tahini, spices and salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Reprocess and adjust seasoning. Serve drizzled with additional olive oil with pita wedges.
Personally, I just spread the pita with hummus and eat it like a pizza.
Oops.
Well, I've been craving hummus lately. It's quite tasty, you know. My favorite is Trader Joe's version with their pitas... but since this is a recipe, perhaps I should tell you how to make it, hmmm?
Via Cooking.com
You will need:
1 3/4 cups garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
6 cups water
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/4 cups tahini paste
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pita bread, cut into wedges
Wash garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and soak in cold water for 24 hours. (Obviously, canned garbanzo beans will not need this preparation step.) Place garbanzo beans, with their soaking liquid, in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 hours, skimming off any debris that may surface. Drain garbanzo beans, reserving 1/4 cup liquid, and refresh in cold water.
Process until smooth. Add garlic, tahini, spices and salt, lemon juice and olive oil. Reprocess and adjust seasoning. Serve drizzled with additional olive oil with pita wedges.
Personally, I just spread the pita with hummus and eat it like a pizza.
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