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Have You Ever Eaten Ebleskiver or Aebleskiver?
One of my “left coast” cousins was married at a vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley. The Miller Clan from Waco was well-represented at the wedding. (We stayed at the famous - or infamous - motel in Solvang where Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church stayed in the movie Sideways.)
As we wandered around in the charming Danish settlement about 115 miles from Los Angeles, we encountered a food new to us small-town Texas types - Aebleskiver (spelling varies according to source). I grew up eating pancakes. It was a Sunday morning ritual in our family right after “The Banging of the Pans” which was Mom’s way of getting us out of bed. Pancakes with syrup were my father’s favorite breakfast. He often said, “I like a little pancake with my syrup.” Mother has made countless pancakes for him, my siblings, and me, my daughter, my nephews, anyone who ever entered our doors at breakfast time - and sometimes even Sunday at supper time. Even now all of her grandchildren ask from Grandmom’s pancakes. (I seldom make them because, as my daughter says, “I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Mom, but Grandmom’s a just a little bit better. I’m not bitter, really.)
My family’s cultural background did not include aebleskivers; so, when offered the opportunity to eat a Danish pancake we jumped at the chance.
According to Wikipedia… “Aebleskiver (Danish meaning apple slices) are traditional Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Somewhat similar in texture to American pancakes crossed with a popover. Aebleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover.” (More about how to achieve this later.)
What is their origin? One theory found on Solvang restaurant website says the following:
Back in the good old days when the Vikings were roaming up and down the coasts of Europe and the waters of the Atlantic, one band of these Vikings had been hard hit in battle; so, when they got back on their ship with their horn helmets and shields all dented and banged up, they decided to have one of their favorite dishes to help them regain their strength - pancakes! In those days they did not have modern conveniences such as frying pans; so, they greased their shields and poured the pancake batter on them over the fire, and, voila! AEBLESKIVER!
Nowdays they are cooked on the stovetop in a special pan with several hemispherical indentions in the bottom of the pan. The pan is cast iron or some other metal that holds heat well. Wagnerware still makes the cast iron type. Nordic Ware (go figure!) makes a cast aluminum aebleskiver pan.
Sharon Boysen Morrow, a Gourmet Gallery regular, has her mother’s aebleskiver pan. All of her children own an aebleskiver pan as well. She grew up in San Luis Obispo, CA. There was a large Danish poulation there and her family, the Boysens, were a part of that. In her words, “Aebelskiver were always a treat growing up. They were made on special occasions. My mother put raisins in them and we dipped them in sugar. Often we had a contest to see who could eat the most.”
Regarding the recipes, Sharon offers the following advice, “Most aebelskiver recipes do not call for many eggs, but the eggs are the secret of being light and fluffy. They are known as Danish pancakes. They are generally filled with fruit and served with sugar and Loganberry jam.”
This first recipe accompanied the pan Sharon received from her mother.
Danish Aebelskiver
4 eggs
1 T sugar
2 c cake flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/4 c melted butter
Scant 2 c milk
Beat egg yolks until light. Add sugar and beat until thickened. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternating with butter and milk. Beat egg whites until soft and fold into batter. Fill each cup of Aebelskiver pan 2/3 full, cook over medium heat until bubbly, turn with fork and cook on other side until brown. Serve with syrup, honey, or jam. If desired, a small piece of cooked apple or thick plum sauce can be pressed into each cup of batter before turning.
Sharon modified this recipe from a Bisquick cookbook. She suggests holding back some egg whites to fold in for the later batches.
Danish Aebleskiver
1 1/2 c Bisquick
1 c milk
6 egg yolks, unbeaten
6 egg whites, well beaten, but not dry
Beat Bisquick, milk and egg yolks with rotary beater until well-blended. Fold in egg whites. Place small amount of butter in each cup of Danish cake pan. Heat pan slightly; fill 2/3 full of batter. Cook until bubbly. Turn carefully with metal skewer; finish baking on other side. Remove from pan onto paper towels. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar over top and serve with lingonberry jam. Makes about 42.
With apple centers: Fill each cup 2/3 full of batter, add 1/2 t well-drained apple mixture (2 medium pared and finely grated apples, 1 T sugar and 1/4 t cinnamon) and cover with very small amount of batter. Bake as above.
Oh, and you’ll need your knitting needles to turn the pancakes to keep them round. Just got ride of knitting needles? Try metal skewers or ice picks.
Thank you, Sharon, for sharing your aebleskiver/aebelskiver/ebelskiver - hmmm - your Danish pancake memories and recipes. I’m going to start making these for my young pancake eater. I bet mine will be better than her grandmother’s!
For photos of the pan, see Gourmet Gallery Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Waco-TX/Gourmet-Gallery/78558491610?ref=nf.
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Making the Most of Artisan Bread
Artisan breads are quite the rage now. The master recipe is wonderful when hot from the oven with its crusty outside and “custard-like” interior that melts in your mouth - especially when the slice is slathered with real butter. On the unlikely occasion that there is some left over (Rachel at Gourmet Gallery makes it every Thursday and Friday and sometimes we get to enjoy a left-over loaf.) there are other delicious creations to be had! From bread pudding to breakfast casseroles, to stuffed tomatoes, and artisan bread-corn bread dressing, we are making the most of our artisan bread.
Here is one of our favorites so far. We will post at least two more recipes made with artisan bread. If you have tried something and liked the results, please share the recipe! If you have tried something and hated it, please tell us so that we don’t make the same mistake!
Russ’ Rustic Bread Pudding
My mouth waters at the thought of this wonderful stuff. Greg from The Beauty Shop brought some down to Gourmet Gallery a couple of days after he purchased a loaf from us. This is bread pudding at its finest. Thanks for sharing, Greg!
2/3 cup raisins
1 loaf Gourmet Gallery Original Artisan Bread cut into 1” cubes
1 stick butter
6 eggs
6 cups milk
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
In a large bowl combine raisins and bread. Pour melted butter over and stir to incorporate. In separate mixing bowl whisk together all remaining ingredients. Pour liquid over bread mixture and fold together 2 minutes to allow bread to absorb egg mixture. Place in a 9” X 13” baking dish. Bake 60 minutes until light golden. Serve with Lemon Rum Sauce.
Lemon Rum Sauce
Melt 1 stick butter on low heat. Add 2 Tbs dark rum and bring to a low boil. Combine juice of 1 large lemon with 1 Tbs cornstarch. Mix well and add to hot ingredients. Whisk over medium heat 1 minute. Server over warm Rustic Bread Pudding.
Happy Cooking and Eating! Karyn
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Too many cooks in the kitchen? Never! The more the merrier!
By Guest Writer, Dee Howard, TX.
If you’ve ever worked in the kitchen with me, you know to stay clear of the sharp knives and to watch out for sudden dashes to a sauté pan as I give some vegetables a quick toss. I am a whirlwind of activity as I make dinner or lunch for my family. And while my family is generous in their praise of my meals, I have a suspicion that I’m doing it all wrong.
You see, I’m the cook that never needs any help in the kitchen. I tell you to sit back and pour yourself a glass of wine; don’t trouble yourself. I’ll take care of everything. You, my guest, then turn around and go mingle with the other bystanders, both of us missing out on an opportunity to get to know one another better. I’m also the cook who shoos the little ones out of the way of hot pans and runs them off to play in another room. I love kids but the kitchen can be a dangerous place for little fingers, right? But how are children supposed to learn the safe way to use knives and hot pans without experience preparing their own food? I live by the saying that if you want something done fast, do it yourself. But maybe it isn’t always about getting it done fast…
Cooking with other people has many benefits that far outweigh the advantages of getting a meal prepared quickly. Many people would agree that eating meals together as a family forges strong bonds between parents and children but preparing food together as a family also encourages family communication and cooperation. For children, helping out in the kitchen builds appreciation for the food being served, pride in helping feed the family, and, most importantly, life skills for adulthood because at some point we all cook for ourselves. As a professional cook, I am often flabbergasted by the lack of basic food handling safety on the part of the general public and I think the absence of children in the family kitchen is a big contributing factor. When great grandma taught your grandmother to make her famous fried chicken, she wasn’t just teaching her the secret seven spices. She was also imparting basic butchering skills, temperature control, and stove safety (although she might not have realized it). Making kids a part of the cooking process from a young age helps them in ways much more important than getting a meal served quickly.
Cooking together doesn’t just have benefits for parents and kids, though. Adults, too, bond through communal food preparation. It’s no coincidence that most dates revolve around dinners out together. Feeding each other is about as instinctive as it gets. So how much more intimate is a meal prepared together! You can learn a lot from how your partner works with you in the kitchen. Sure, at first there will be a lot of stepped on toes and maybe even a cut or two, but learning to cook together is a lot like learning to dance: it takes practice.
Living in Japan opened my eyes to communal cooking. Japan has many ways for people to enjoy cooking together from restaurants where you cook your own seafood pancakes to the world famous suki-yaki, which is surprisingly easy to prepare at home. The Japanese love to cook and eat together and it’s something I wish we Americans would pick up on. Getting together with my friends in Japan to make and fry gyoza dumplings or attending company outings to the local shabu-shabu restaurant are some of my favorite and most lasting memories of Japan. The bonds of friendship were forged in the fires of those communal cooking pots. One Japanese food that I think is particularly well adapted to the American lifestyle is sushi rolls. It is portable finger food that can be made to suit any taste and it’s the perfect food to make in the group setting. On one hand, each individual can fill the roll with whatever suits his own tastes, but, on the other hand, the basic roll is simple seaweed and rice which everyone can enjoy the challenge of rolling. I love teaching people to make sushi rolls because once someone learns how to make a sushi roll, he usually wants to show his friends and the knowledge just spreads from there. Sushi rolls are fun to make at parties or even to make with kids as an appetizer or a meal. Will you be an expert after only rolling a few sushi rolls? Probably not. But it’s the challenge of getting it right that leads to big rewards because there’s no better feeling than serving a plate full of beautiful sushi to your guests. I love serving sushi rolls to my friends and family and that’s something I wouldn’t be able to do if other chefs hadn’t slowed down and taught me.
Teaching what I’ve learned from so many Japanese master cooks is one way I honor that debt. I’m always looking for better ways to teach the beauty of Japanese food. Japanese food has changed the way I think about food (but that’s for another blog post!) and I love sharing that knowledge with others. So when I can remember, I do slow down and let people help me cook in the kitchen. I’m a better cook for it.
Dee Howard is teaching Sushi at Gourmet Gallery on Friday, July 24th at 5:30pm. Cost is $55/person. Contact Gourmet Gallery for reservations 399-0429.
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Time for Celebratin’ (or Let’s Eat Ice Cream)
We all know that July 4th is America’s Birthday. July is also National Ice Cream month. WOW! Let’s celebrate! And I DO mean with ICE CREAM. There are ice cream recipes in every summer magazine, all over the Internet, in everyone’s family. Why write a blog about ice cream? I have no real defense except that it is fun to think about ice cream, to dream about ice cream, to scream—no, that’s going too far. Somehow, no matter how good or expensive or creatively flavored store-bought ice cream is, it just can’t stack up or freeze up to the homemade stuff.
I just bought an ice cream maker with a freezer bowl that you freeze for 24 hours. It requires no ice, no salt. While it’s a little noisy (no moreso than the other electric type), it’s really great. It freezes ice cream in about 25 minutes, and clean- up is really easy.
My dad, God rest his soul, would have said that this was cheating. I remember taking turns with my brother and sister sitting on top of the newspaper that had been tightly wrapped around our faded turquoise-blue hand-crank ice cream maker. Daddy would turn the crank for what seemed to be hours until finally delicious ice cream was frozen - at least frozen enough to stand in the spoon for the 2 seconds before it was devoured on a hot summer Texas day. THAT was real ice cream that “real men” made for their families.
I’m sticking with my new electric ice cream maker. I wonder what Molly will use to make ice cream when I’m 80. Maybe she’ll test out some of these recipes. I’m guessing, however, none will top her favorite recipe as seen below.
Some Ice Cream Basics-with credits for copying:
Allrecipes. com divides ice cream into to two types: French custard which is cooked to make a creamier mixture and to assure that the eggs safe to eat and New York or Philadelphia style which is uncooked with no egg products. Some uncooked mixtures depend on whipping cream for creaminess; some use gelatin; some use whipped evaporated milk. Then, of course, there are other frozen desserts such as sherbet, bombes, mousses and ices.
Some suggestions from our favorite, The Joy of Cooking:
Prepare the ice cream mixture the day before it is frozen to make the ice cream smoother. When possible dissolve sugar in liquid over heat before adding to the cream. Add 1/8 t. salt to the syrup. Cool before adding to the cream. Chill the mixture before freezing.
Below are some ideas for celebrating National Ice Cream Month:
Vanilla Ice Cream with Egg Yolks*
Makes about1 1/2 Quarts
Scald over low heat but do not boil:
1 1/2 cups milk
Stir in until dissolved:
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pour the milk slowly over:
2 or 3 beaten egg yolks
Beat these ingredients until they are well blended. Stir and cook them over low heat or in a double boiler until they are thick and smooth. Do not let them boil. Chill them. Add:
1 tablespoon vanilla
Whip until stiff:
1 pint heavy cream: 2 cups
Fold it into the custard. Freeze according to ice cream freezer directions.
*Use the egg whites for a Fruit Meringue Torte
Strawberry or Peach Meringue Torte
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
10 saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
In an electric mixer beat egg whites and baking powder until frothy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until egg whites are stuff but not dry. Fold in crackers and pecans. Bake in a butter-greased 8 or 9 inch pie plate at 300F for 30 minutes.
Cool. Add 1 quart whole or sliced strawberries (or sliced peaches) and top with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, form individual meringues and place on parchment paper on a baking sheet Bake until lightly brown.
This is an old favorite from Helen Corbitt’s Cookbook:
Lemon Velvet Ice Cream
1 quart plus 1 1/3 cups whipping cream
1 quart plus 1 1/3 cups milk
Juice of 8 lemons
4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
Mix thoroughly and freeze according to your freezer directions. It tastes just the way it sounds—like velvet.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet; however, it comes from a wonderful source and I plan to make it over the weekend. The source is Barbara McCellan from the Longview News-Journal:
Vanilla Ice Cream
1/2 cup cold milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Fruit, if desired—2 cups mashed peaches or strawberries.*
Stir milk, vanilla, condensed milk, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat heavy cream until stiff peaks are formed. Gently stir in milk mixture. Fold in fruit, if desired. Pour mixture into a ½ qt. metal bowl (Can be frozen in the metal mixer bowl). Cover and freeze for at least four hours, stirring after two hours, around the sides when the edges begin to harden. This makes about 3 pints of ice-cream. Serve, or store in air-tight containers. *Very ripe mashed fruit is good so that there are no frozen chunks. Add fruit near the end of the freezing period.
My own (and my daughter’s) personal favorite is the following. I like it mostly because it is all mixed in one bowl, requires no heating, beating, cooking, or stressing, AND it tastes fabulous!
Simple Vanilla Ice Cream
Makes 14 1/2 cup servings (that is 7 one-cup servings)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/8 cups sugar (make sure it is fine sugar so that it dissolves completely)
1 can evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed, although my grandfather loves a can of this in it as well)
Enough cream to make 3 cups combined with the evaporated milk
1 1/2 tablespoons really good, strong vanilla, like Neilson Massey
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk (or mix with mixer) untilthe sugar in dissolved. Pour into ice cream canister and freeze according to ice cream maker manufacturer directions.
There are thousands of ideas and variations and you may have a favorite. Please share your favorite with all of us.
Happy Freezing and Eating!
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Exploring Asian Food Inspiration
“In the 1950s Asian food meant chop suey and fortune cookies to most Americans,” states an internet source. Travel and immigration have influenced changes in this perspective, and in today’s food scene in the United States, yes, in Waco, too, the myriad of flavors from many Asian countries have brought an awareness of the richness and diversity of these fascinating countries and their cuisines.
Attempting to write about Asian foods is too daunting a task to do alone. I found help from Han Ashley, personal chef and owner of The Epicurean. According to Han the general Asian philosophy is that meat is a condiment with the main emphasis is on fresh vegetables and whole grains. Ginger, garlic and onions are the “trinity” for all Asian cuisine with Southeast Asians using fresh ingredients such as lemongrass, cilantro, Thai basil and peppers. Indian foods tend to have dried herbs and spices such as saffron, cardamom and turmeric.
The availability of foodstuffs affects our cooking. (We Americans have become accustomed to an abundance of everything. Is that the reason we go to a buffet and pile on the food?) Asian countries seem to have a different idea about food. The Asian carefully builds the plate to fit the palate, carefully combining and tasting and enjoying the blends of flavors. Soups and stir fry are the everyday meals, and fancy foods that are more labor-intensive are prepared for special occasions and may involve the extended family in the preparation.
This is only a slight scratch on the surface of the subject. Another day, another conversation, another blog about curry or ginger or lemon grass or… . In the meantime here’s a refreshing spring-summer salad and a good way to use left-over chicken.
Asian Chicken Salad
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
2 t. soy sauce
1 t. fresh ginger, grated
1 T. sesame seed oil
3 T. rice vinegar
¼ c. vegetable oil
A little sea salt
Combine the above ingredients 30 minutes before serving time. Pour into a salad dressing carafe.
4 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
1 large package mixed salad greens or l medium head Iceberg lettuce
1 c. chow mein noodles
3 green onions, chopped
1 Mandarin orange, peeled and sectioned or 1 8oz can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 T. sesame seeds, toasted
In a large bowl combine lettuce, cooked and shredded chicken, green onions, orange slices and toasted sesame seeds. Let chill for 10 minutes. Just before serving add noodles, pour dressing over top of salad, toss and serve immediately.
Notes: For a mild dressing, omit the Sriacha Hot Chili Sauce.
This salad dressing makes a GREAT marinade for pork ribs, loin chops, and chicken.
Although I shy away from sweeter wines, a nice Reisling or, yes, even a white Zinfandel pairs nicely with these foods. Try the Polka Dot Reisling, either dry or sweet. It tastes great with these flavors and it has a cool bottle.
Happy Cooking and Eating!
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Artisan Bread
The “Everyday Cheapskate” article in the Waco Tribune-Herald on Monday, May 11, caught my attention and interest. Mary Hunt recommended Artisan Bread in Five Minutes: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking, a 2007 publication co-authored by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francis. This approach to bread-making has revolutionized her life, for she has not bought a loaf of bread for two years.
Angela Tekell and others in the Waco area are involved this bread revolution. She is now having classes to teach this new idea of bread-making. She has not bought bread for two months estimating that each loaf costs about fifty cents compared to four dollars a loaf at the bakery.
What is “artisan bread”? A google search produced 1,710,000 sites. From this search I learned, among thousands of other things that artisan bread is crafted rather than mass-produced. It is baked in small batches and usually has about five ingredients as opposed to mass-produced bread that may have as many as twenty. An artisan baker is a craftsperson who is trained to the highest ability to mix, ferment, shape and bake a handcrafted loaf of bread. Although some doubted that truly accomplished bakers would appreciate the quality, many contributors on the Amazon.com website were thrilled with the results.
On my shelf is a cookbook entitled No Need to Knead by Suzanne Dunaway. The subtitle is “Handmade Italian Breads in 90 Minutes. H-m-m. That’s 85 minutes I can save. I’m ordering that “5-Minute” book! And we’re going to start doing a lot more baking at Gourmet Gallery!
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HELP! What do I do with ALL the greens!
Our family bought a three-month trial membership at the Waco City Farm.
One of us volunteered to go get the harvest for the week. After several trips under Highway 6, I, um I mean, she discovered the Farm. (She is somewhat directionally challenged.) The trip was worth the effort, though. Each batch of vegetables was carefully placed in the basket provided by the grower, ad the young man named each addition as he put it in the basket. Nodding and smiling and saying, “Thank you,” to the man, this person, who will remain nameless, came home with the goods.
“What did you get?” was the first question.
“Well, let’s see. This is - some kind of kale. This is another kind of kales, and I think he said this is Russian kale. This is a white radish, and this, he said, is Swiss chard - or is that - uh, I can’t really remember.” Onions, potatoes, and turnip greens were easy to recognize, but all this kale was another thing!
We got out the Time and Life Good Food — Vegetables Cook Book, an old book that has wonderful pictures of many of the vegetables. We were able to identify most of them - but not all. The internet was helpful, too.
Every week, except the weeks between the growing seasons, we got a bushel of mostly greens, and we began to learn what to do with them. Some of them we gave to friends; some we cooked eating greens that we had never experienced. We learned that beet greens and kale are wonderful sauteed in a little olive oil, served with crisp chopped bacon (but even cake is good with bacon) and topped with salad olives or balsamic vinegar - or both.
We discovered a great recipe that we made for Good Friday called
Good Luck Gumbo. It is made with a roux, the trinity (onion, green pepper, and celery) and seven different kinds of greens for good luck. It is tasty! It goes without saying that all said greens and most other vegetables need to be served with good brown-on-the-outside, tender-crumb-on-the-inside CORNBREAD!
BTW, if you have cooking suggestions for kohl rabi, please let me know!
Happy Cooking! Karyn
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My Favorite Cookbook
by JoAnn Miller
My favorite cookbook has had a new birth. The book binder removed all of the duct tape, carefully reinforced page edges, added two new ribbons for place markers, and bound it in a beautiful cobalt blue cover.
The stained pages of the cookbook, however, remind me that even though I have a plethora of cookbooks and food magazines, and that I often go to websites for recipes, this 1955 edition of The Joy of Cooking has been my mainstay through a home economics teaching career, 50 years of marriage, three children, and eight grandchildren.
Why? It’s just so - basic. Reliable recipes and cooking techniques, menus for many occasions, substituions, entertaining and table service, etc. Old-fashion? Perhaps. Too formal for our casual society? Probably. But still so - basic.
Looking for a great gift for a bride and groom? Think about getting them The Joy of Cooking. They can find trendy recipes on Epicurious.com, Cooking.com, and countless other websites. They can get recipes from wonderful foods magazines like Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Food and Wine. My old Joy is still my favorite.
Dear Reader, let me know your favorite cookbook!
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Grilling Pizza
Since we haven’t had much cold weather this year, I have found myself in the back yard grilling pizzas more than usual during February and March. There are lots of reasons I like to grill pizzas. When I first did it, I wanted to impress my friends. I had a pretty big group over, and each person was responsible for bringing his or her own favorite pizza topping. Then each person actually made his or her own pizza. Shelley Dunbar and her husband Bryan now use this party plan regularly. Try planning a party where everyone brings his own topping AND wine or beer to pair with it. It makes for good conversation, good food, and lots of fun.
I also like to grill pizzas because it gets us out of the house, because each person gets to create his/her own special creation, because it’s fun for adults AND children, and because the pizzas taste fantastic.
Once you get your dough made, it’s really simple. In fact, you can even purchase frozen rolls and you don’t have the added work of dealing with yeast (although it’s really quite easy if you want to make your own. If you want my dough recipe, please email me at karynm@GourmetGalleryWaco.com).
Here’s how it all works.
Clean grill grates and brush with olive oil. Heat grill to medium-high heat.
While the grill is heating, prepare all pizza toppings and get them outside on a table next to the grill.
Pinch a small handful off dough per person, or use one frozen roll that has been thawed. Roll, press, and smash into desired thickness. Brush both sides of dough with olive oil and crushed garlic. Place on grill and close the lid for about three minutes (depending on the size of your dough), or just long enough for the dough to get grill marks and to be firm on that side. Flip the dough over and begin placing your toppings on. Close the grill and cook for about five minutes. Make sure all cheese is melty, and that the bottom of the crust is slightly brown. If it is getting too dark, and the toppings aren’t warm yet, slide a piece of foil under the pizza, close the lid, and finish the cooking process.
That’s all there is to it.
My favorite toppings for outdoor pizza are simple:
A little tomatoe sauce Fresh, thinly-sliced garlic Fresh, thinly-sliced vine-ripened tomatoes Fresh basil Fresh mozzarella, sliced Salt Pepper Olive oil (for an extra treat, try truffle oil) Hearty red wine - oh, that’s to drink WITH the pizza
Try spreading pesto over the crust (no tomatoe sauce needed!) and top with a few fresh tomatoes - or sundried tomatoes and a little cheese, and you have a delicious diversion. Consider the crust your blank slate and create a masterpiece for your eyes and your mouth!
Happy cooking and eating!
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To Brine or Not to Brine
By Jo Ann Miller
My grandmother put her cup-up chicken pieces for fried chicken in salt water. I never knew why. I just knew that her fried chicken was wonderful. I thought it was just that she was the best cook ever.
Many corned beef recipes require cooking the salt water with pickling spices and brining the meat for a week or so before cooking. Salt is a natural preservative, and the British used brining to make their meats last longer. Thus, delicious corned beef.
CooksIllustrated.com says that the water and the two ions in salt add and retain moisture. Writes the tester, “Table salt is made up of two ions that are oppositely charged. Proteins, such as those in meat, are large molecules that contain a mosaic of charges. When proteins are placed in a solution containing salt, they readjust their shape to accommodate the opposing charges… reducing overall toughness… creating gaps that fill up with water … . The result is meat that is both juicy and tender.”
Thomas Keller, Uber chef, reveals his secret of fabulous fried chicken in the September 2008 issue of Bon Appetit. His secret? Brining. Thomas not only uses salt but also bay leaves, cloves, rosemary, peppercorns, thyme, honey, Italian parsley, and lemon peel in the brining solution.
The New Food Lover’s Companion says that brining flavors AND reduces cooking time. “Brining is an age-old process that has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. The trick is the right balance of salt - too little and it won’t do any good, too much and the food will taste salty. Other liquids (such as apple juice, beer or wine) can replace all or part of the water in the brining mixture.”
Brining is best with white meats. It turns beef and pork gray; so, it is important to brown these meat after brining. Overbrining makes any meat mushy. It is best to use a container large enough to accommodate the food with enough room for the brine mixture to cover it.
Many recipes offer specific formulas for brining, but here are some basic guidelines offered by CooksIllustrated.com:
- 1 whole chicken or 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces - Use two quarts water, 1/2 cup table salt and 1/2 cup sugar for 1/2 to 1 hour.
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - Use 2 quarts water, 1/4 c table salt and 1/4 cup sugar for 1/2 to 1 hour.
- 1 turkey (12-17 pounds) - Use 2 gallons water, 1 cup table salt for six to 12 hours.
- 1 turkey (18-24 pounds) - Use 3 gallons water, 1 1/2 cup table salt for six to 12 hours.
- 4 bone-in rib loin pork chops - Use 1 1/2 quarts water, 3 T water, 3 T sugar for one hour.
- 1 pork roast (3-6 pounds) - Use 2 quarts water, 1/4 table salt, 1/4 cup sugar for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Follow this with your usual cooking procedures, be it frying, roasting, or baking. The end result of brining is a more tender, more flavorful meat, regardless of your cooking methods. Call or email with questions!
Happy Cooking and Eating! Jo Ann Miller (Karyn’s mom)
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Grown Ups Like Hot Cocoa, Too
I thought I was really sophisticated a few years ago when I added cayenne to my chocolate concoctions (hot cocoa, chocolate sauce for bread pudding, chocolate cakes and tortes). With only a little bit of research, I learned that the Aztec king Montezuma beat me to the punch roughly 580 years ago. He added just a bit of the spicy stuff to his xocolatl or chocolate elixir. According to Food Lover’s Companion, legend says that Montezuma believed that “bitter water” or xocolatl was an aphrodisiac and he drank 50 golden goblets of it each day.
While I don’t necessarily recommend 50 goblets of anything per day, recent studies have shown that chocolate, in moderation, is good for us. And, yes, it may even be an aphrodisiac. That’s why Valentine’s is the perfect time of year to give chocolate to your amore! And a pinch of cayenne might spice things up a little more. (Remember the book/movie Chocolat?)
When I was a kid and we actually got to have a “snow day” in Brownwood, Texas, Mom would sometimes make hot cocoa. This was never the prepackaged stuff. It was always homemade. We even had one of those nifty Mexican hot cocoa whisks (molinillo hueco). When I tried to recreate it as an adult, I realized that a slightly more grown up version with a bit of espresso powder and cayenne really warmed me up. Here is the recipe I use, which is modified from the Hershey’s canister recipe.
1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. high quality cocoa powder (Scharfen Berger is great.) Pinch of salt Pinch of cayenne 1/2 t. espresso powder 1 t. Mexican vanilla 4-5 c. milk Whipped cream
Stir together sugar, cocoa, salt, cayenne, and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add milk; stirring constantly, heat to serving temperature. Do Not Boil.
Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat with rotary beater or whisk until foamy. Serve topped whipped cream.
Please send your own favorite chocolate recipe. Maybe I’ll follow up with a chocolate torte recipe, too.
Happy Cooking nad Eating!
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Gourmet Gallery’s (or Karyn’s) Best of the Year
For about as long as I can remember Bon Appetit has listed the “Best of the Year” in their January issue, recapping their favorites from restaurants to recipes, from the prior year. I would like to create my own “Best of the Year,” and I would love to hear about readers’ favorites, too. Although I can’t possibly think of all the absolutely fabulous things I have eaten throughout 2008, I can list a few things that really stand out.
Some of the things on my list are new to me this year. Some come from cooks and chefs who have visited our store or taught classes for us at Gourmet Gallery. Some come from our own chefs Rachel Solano and Jo Ann Miller (my mom). Others are old but new again to me. So, here it goes. Just a short list, not even in any particular order, but maybe we could all share recipes.
Blue Cheese Hamburgers on Homemade Hamburger Buns
It’s just what it says - WYSIWYG. No surprise ingredients. I haven’t found a restaurant in Waco that will cook this rare enough for me; so, I made my own. You can mix blue cheese into the hamburger or you can pile it on top. It’s not just the blue cheese that elevates this hamburger to my “Best of the Year” list; it’s that homemade hamburger bun. I’m embarrassed to say that I had never really ventured out to make my own hamburger buns. One of this years’ cooking magazines mentioned it, and I realized how very much I have to learn. What a difference!
Mom’s Pecan Pralines
Every holiday season, I am reminded of these tasty sugary morsels that have been around since my childhood (right along with the candied orange peel). I think Mother found the recipe on a vanilla box a few decades ago. I have tasted pralines around the world. These are absolutely the best I’ve had. I often eat so many that my teeth start to hurt. So much for holiday restraint.
Marion Wilkins’ Spiced Bosc Pear and Pepper Jack Soup
This creamy, slightly spicy soup absolutely surprised us all. It sounded odd to me. Marion said it was good, though; so, we tried it. It was WAY more than good. It definitely goes into the “GREAT” category. To give proper credit, she retrieved this recipe from a restaurant in New Mexico. In my mind, this is Marion’s recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Chicken Picatta made with fresh California Lemons and Cilantro
When I was living in California, my mom visited and made this recipe with me. It was from Gourmet or Bon Appetit sometime in 1993, I think. Honestly, the trick to this is that the lemons need to come right off the tree in your neighbor’s yard preferrably without their seeing you take them. Results can not be guaranteed if lemons come from any other source.
Chef Oz’s Apple Salad with Honey/Lime/Yogurt Dressing
Wow! What an absolutely surprising, refreshing treat this was! This is an improvement on the old Waldorf Salad. Oz pairs this with some of his very VERY spicy chili. In his words, “The sweetness of the fruit and tangy acidity of the dressing provide a nice foil to the fiery pepper heat of the chili.” If you haven’t yet experienced Chef Mike Osborne, seek him out. He’s fabulously talented and tremendously entertaining. We hope to get him back in the store for a few more classes before he moves on to bigger and better things! (But what could be better?)
Spinach and Artichoke Bow Ties with Asiago
This delicious, tangy pasta dish is the perfect low-fat meal that doesn’t taste low-fat at all. I love making this for guests. Once my sister and I made a huge mound of this for the women at our church on a retreat. They ALL loved it. We even snuck in a little wine and they loved that even more - at least those who would admit it.
Rachel’s Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup
Although I have enjoyed Thai food for a long time, this recipe takes the cake. Rachel Solano has perfected this into a comfort food that may surpass every grandmom’s Chicken Noodle Soup. Part of the trick is the fish sauce. It smells terrible concentrated in the bottle, but it adds a depth of flavor that I have not experienced from any other “seasoning.”
Alfred’s Mom’s Tamales
Alfred Solano has no idea how good he has it. His wife is an amazing cook, as is his mother. We had some of her pork tamales during Christmas. The masa was spread on so perfectly thin that it only complemented - instead of interfered with - the savory, succulent, tender meat inside. Thanks for sharing, Mrs. Solano!
One last thing. Bread pudding. Just the simple stuff. No chocolate, no raisins. Just sweet, buttery, decadent bread pudding. With whiskey sauce, of course.
Go ahead, Bon Appetit. Top that list!
Happy Eating.
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Dear Mom, I’m Sorry
Dear Mom:
I am so very sorry that I have made fun of your Candied Orange Peel. For many of my 43 years I have watched you slave over this delicacy every holiday season - peeling the oranges, removing only part of the bitter pith, soaking and re-soaking and re-soaking yet again, stirring constantly, wiping down the sides of the pan, stirring more, letting it dry and occupy our oven for what seemed like days, rolling it in sugar - to create a colorful, sparkling candy that I (and probably the rest of my family) simply did not appreciate. We knew how much you loved it, but we thought it was a waste of time, completely passé, and, quite frankly not really that tasty.
According to the December 2008 issues of Bon Appétit and Cooking Light, and likely a plethora of other cooking magazines, it IS NOT a waste of time at all, it is absolutely fashionable, and it IS THAT TASTY. Well, if it’s good enough for Bon Appétit, then it’s good enough for me.
Mom, as usual, you know your stuff, and you are so avant gard, that I just didn’t get it. Thanks for keeping me up-to-date by proving that everything old is new again. And thanks for being such a fabulous cook.
Love,
Karyn
P.S. May I have your recipe now?
Candied orange peel makes a stunning garnish to both sweet and savory dishes - from chocolate desserts and cakes (see www.bhg.com recipe for Pumpkin Torte) toppings, butternut squash soups to salads. If I can convince Mom to share her recipe, I will try candied orange peel on a salad of mixed greens with spicy pecans, blue cheese and hibiscus syrup vinaigrette. Even if it doesn’t taste good, it will be beautiful, and that’s half the battle, isn’t it?
Cook’s Note from Foodnetwork.com on their candied orange peel recipe: One way to use orange peels is to stuff a dried date with a piece of orange peel and almond, then dip the entire thing into dark chocolate.
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Fondue and Dog Treats
Today at Gourmet Gallery, we made fondue - cheese, chocolate, and caramel - and dog treats. The fondue was to satiate my first hankering for holiday warmth. The dog treats were to satisfy my daughter’s curiosity and to take home to our little, yappy, black dog whom we consider one of us.
The cheese fondue was fabulous with the dog treats. Yes, really. We all tasted the dog treats. They were, after all, made from people-friendly ingredients like flour, eggs, chicken broth, and baking soda. (Recipe to follow.) So, we feasted on a rather biscuit-like bread with cheese fondue for our lunch. The local cheese- and dog-lovers were equally as excited as we were. A meal fit for royalty.
Fondue is a French word for “melted,” according to Fondue by Robert Carmack. It originated in the Swiss Alps, and the traditional fondue is a blend of cheese melted with alcohol. Today all sorts of things can go into fondue, from vegetables and fruits to meat and seafoods. Carmack says that the Swiss divide fondues into five distinct categories: 1. Cheese (somewhat obvious). 2. Burgundian (Raw meats are cooked in simmering oil served with a variety of sauces). 3. Bacchus (Wine is used instead of oil to cook thinly sliced meats.) 4. Asian (Boiling water or broth is used to cook the meat in a large donut-shaped “pot.”) 5. Chocolate (also somewhat obvious). Each is distinct and delicious.
Our chocolate fondue experiment was actually nothing more than melted Reese’s Peanut Butter cups mixed with whipping cream. Of the three, this was my daughter’s favorite. I might choose something a bit more sophisticated for a party, but we had Reese’s in the pantry. The Rocky road fondue recipe that follows is a sure bet. Both of the following fondue recipes are adapted from Robert Carmack’s cookbook Fondue.
Rocky Road Fondue
9 oz milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee
1 tablespoon rum (optional)
4 oz large marshmallows
1/2 cup unsalted mixed nuts, lightly toasted and finely ground
Additional marshmallows, lady fingers, cookies, graham cracker sticks for dipping.
Combine chocolate, milk, cream, coffee and rum in a microwave-proof bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir and microwave in short intervals and stir until thoroughly melted and well-blended. Pour into fondue pot. Cut 4 oz of marshmallows in half and gently incorporate into chocolate mixture. Sprinkle a few nuts on top. This is a creative and fun dessert for about six people. A nice dry champagne or sparkling wine would be a lovely accompaniment.
Fondue Mexicana
1 cup beer
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 small fresh chilies, seeded an dcoarsely chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 lb Montery Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
Tortilla chips for serving
In a heavy, medium saucepan, heat beer over high heat until it foams. Add lemon juice, chilies and bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Toss cheese with the flour, paprika, and cumin, then add to the pan, one handful at a time, stirring to melt each handful. Add salt. Transfer to a warm fondue pot. Serve with tortilla chips. Serves 4-6.
Basic Bones Dog Treats
From The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook by Liz Palika
Makes 25-30 3”-long dog bone-shaped cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup low-sodium beef or chicken bouillon powder
2 large eggs
1 cup warm water.
Preheat oven to 350 degree. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Slowly add the warm water and eggs and mix well. The dough will be stiff. Use your hands to knead the dough until it is smooth and easy to handle, and then form it into a ball. Place the ball on a floured breadboard. Roll the dough out to 1/4-3/8” thick. Use a 3” dog bone-shaped cookie cutter (or any other cookie cutter that your dog likes) to cut out the dough. Place the bones on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
These treats pair especially well with a classic Neuchatel fondue and a dry white wine, or with a big bowl of water and a pat on the head.
All of the recipes today can lend to a cozier, happier, more animal-friendly holiday season.
Happy Cooking, Eating, and Petting!
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Paella Me!
Paella (pi-AY-yuh) A Spanish dish of saffron-flavored rice combined with a variety of meats and shellfish (such as shrimp, lobster, clams, chicken, pork, ham and chorizo), garlic onions, peas, artichoke hearts and tomatoes. It is named after the special two-handled paella pan in which it is prepared and served. The pan is wide, shallow and 13 to 14 inches in diameter.
John Yager has mastered the art of “paellaing.” John is a brilliant mechanic, husband, father, and, more recently, chef extraordinaire. I love talking food with him. He really knows his stuff. Below is an article he recently wrote about Paella. I hope that he doesn’t mind my sharing his fabulous recipe. Thanks, John. Can’t wait for you to come back to Gourmet Gallery to conduct another Paella class!
The Legend of Paella
by John Yager
According to Spanish legend, if you ask a man from Andalucia for his paella receipe, he will be obliged to provide at least three recipes: his own, his wife’s and his mother’s.
I am now convinced there is magic at work in the preparation of this bounteous feast. The cook should be warned, therefore, that while he or she can set the course, the final destination revealing the exotic tastes, textures and colors of this most celebratory dish is determined by forces in the universe over which cooks have scant control.
The name paella derives from the pan, called paellera, and does not refer to any ingredient. As best I can determine, the only requirements for authentic paella are the pan, rice, olive oil, and saffron. The remainder is determined by the cook.
The paellera has a circular configuration, about two inches deep, with two handles. It is made of metal which rusts easily so it must be dried completely after washing. You may also find pans with the same general appearance but made from more fashionable materials, sometimes brightly colored. These are just fine for cooking paella, but no pan is more efficient than a cast iron frying pan because of its heat distribution properties and capacity to retain heat for extended time after cooking is completed. Paella looks great in whatever you cook it, and nothing tastes better.
The paella described here is based on the Valencia model which includes shellfish and meat and begins with a potent base of flavor called sofrito.
This recipe has evolved over the years, but the technique for preparation has remained constant.
Paella Espania
14” Paella pan
6 chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper
Pinch of sweet paprika
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 cup olive oil
2 chorizo sausages
1/3 yellow onion minced
3 tablespoons roasted garlic
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups medium grain rice
3 cups chicken broth
3 small lobster tails, split
1/4 lb calamari rings
1/2 lb jumbo shrimp
1/2 lb scallops
1/4 cup frozen sweet peas
Lemon wedges
Red peppers cut into strips
Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. Season with salt, black pepper and oregano. Heat oil in the paella pan. Brown chicken on all sides, when nearly cooked through, add the chorizo links, and brown.
Remove the chicken and the sausage from the pan. Cut the sausages into slices and set aside. Drain excess oil, but don’t clean the pan! Make a “sofrito” by sauteing the onions, add the tomato paste and cook until the mixture caramalizes a bit and the flavors meld. Add the roasted garlic, season with salt, black pepper and paprika.
Add the chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks and absorbs evenly. DO NOT COVER or constantly stir.
Add the chicken and sausage, simmer without stirring until the rice is al dente. Add the shrimp and lobster tails and let cook for five to seven minutes. Add scallops and calamari. Scatter peas and let cook until the liquid is absorbed. Allow to rest off the heat for five minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and pepper strips. The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called “socarrat.”
Additional notes from Karyn:
You really don’t need to serve anything else with a paella except maybe a simple salad and a dry Rose. You might even encourage guests to eat straight from the pan, the traditional way to eat paella. This is a labor-intensive dish probably best for special occasions, but the making of paella is an occasion by itself. It is rumored that the soccarat has aphrodisiac powers; so choose your guests wisely!
Happy Cooking!
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I Don’t Like Tarragon - or Maybe I Do
As a general rule, I don’t like tarragon. Maybe I don’t like it because of its “distinctive aniselike flavor.” For those who don’t recognize the word “anise” it is a plant that tastes like licorice. According to the Fourth Edition of Food Lover’s Companion, it is used to flavor drinks such as pastis, arrack, anisette, and Ouzo. Ouzo is a sweet anise-flavored (read “licorice”) liqueur from Greece.
When I was in Sweden, I sailed with a Swedish family who introduced me to Ouzo by the one-ounce portion - several one-ounce portions. The family told me Ouzo was the nectar of the Grecian sailors.
Almost exactly four hours after my introduction to Ouzo, this anise-flavored nectar, I got very sick. Maybe it was the rough sailing. I got so sick, in fact, that Ouzo, licorice, anise, and tarragon are all very disgusting to me - until last Friday evening.
Christy Rost, a chef and author of Where’s My Spatula and The Family Table came to Gourmet Gallery to teach a cooking class for us last Friday evening. She re-introduced me to tarragon in a simple emulsion of honey mustard, tarragon vinegar, fresh tarragon, and olive oil drizzled on delicately-steamed asparagus. It was like heaven in my mouth. The subtle herbal flavors blended beautifully before us all to create a simple, yet elegant dish.
Since then I have resurrected some of my pre-Ouzo incident (Let’s call it BO, Before Ouzo.) recipes. If I like my recipe for Perfect Tarragon Roast Chicken after I make it today, I will add it to this blog. Below is Christy Rost’s recipe for Asparagus with Honey-Tarragon Vinaigrette.
Perhaps I’m mature enough now to re-think tarragon.
White Asparagus with Honey-Tarragon Vinaigrette
From Where’s My Spatula by Christy Rost
1 pound white asparagus, rinsed and woody ends removed
1 teaspoon honey mustard
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
Fresh ground pepper melange (mix of various pepper corns)
1 sprig fresh tarragon leaves coarsley chopped
Place the asparagus in a large skillet, fill the pan with water to a depth of 1/4 inch, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the asparagus 3 minutes, or until they are crisp-tender. Drain, set them aside, and keep warm, or, if preferred, transfer them to a plate, cover, and chill them 1 hour or overnight.
In a small bowl, combine honey mustard, tarragon vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper melange, and fresh tarragon. Whisk until the dressing is very thick and emulsified. To serve, arrange the spears side by side on individual salad plates and spoon some of the vinaigrette across the middle of the spears.
I tried the Tarragon Roasted Chicken yesterday. I have to admit, I really liked it. Here is the recipe, which is a combination of “Perfect Roast Chicken” which I found in some magazine years ago, and my own best guess of how to add the fresh tarragon.
Tarragon Roast Chicken
2-3 pound chicken
2 think-skinned lemons, pierced in 8 or 9 places
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove giblets and excess fat from chicken. Roll lemons to soften and pierce each with a skewer. Peel and crush garlic. Mash garlic and coarse salt in a small bowl; then blend in chopped tarragon and softened butter. Smear half of the garlic herb mixture in the cavity of the chicken. Put the lemons inside the cavity. Gently slide hand under skin on breast side of chicken. Rub garlic herb mixture under skin and on top of skin. Add one cup water to pan. Roast breast side up for 1 hour or until the drumstick just begins to move in socket. Allow chicken to rest for 15 minutes. Simmer the pan juices with 1/2 cup white wine and reduce to half for a lovely sauce to complement the dish.
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Goat Cheese and Chocolate
Several years ago I lived in Europe for a short time - in Belgium to be more specific, about 40 miles outside of Brussels in a small Flemish community called Eizer. Legally, I was not allowed to work in Belgium; so, I joined The American Women’s Club of Brussels. I had the opportunity to “apprentice” with the chef of the club.
Having something of an Ugly American mentality, I thought we in the States had it all. I thought we had the best of everything and imported what we didn’t. I was wrong, very wrong. Belgium had so much more to offer than my small American mind had ever realized. From chocolate to waffles to goat cheese to mussels, I cooked and ate and cooked and ate. (After all I had LOTS of spare time on my hands.)
I frequented one restaurant in Brussels so often for their goat cheese toasts on salad that it was usually waiting for me by the time I got to the table. (I also went there because they were tolerant of my wretched French.) The chef at the American Women’s Club shared the simple recipe. It is so pure and fresh, it seems ridiculous that it doesn’t show up on more menues here in the States. Maybe it does and I just don’t get out as much as I used to … . I think I’m ready to take a trip to Belgium. Next time - chocolate.
Salad of Fresh Greens and Goat Cheese Toasts with Herbs (Salade de Chevre Chaud)
The restaurant served three pieces of toast on each salad. Each toast had a different mix of herbs. See notes below*.
Salad
Fresh field greens with herbs
Vinaigrette
1/3 c olive oil
3 T apple cider vinegar
3 T rice wine vinegar
1 T mild dijon mustard
1 T honey
1 T dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together and toss with salad greens. This recipe is very versatile. If you like raspberry vinaigrette, replace the honey with 1/4 c raspberry preserves.
Goat Cheese Toasts
1 baguette of fresh French bread, sliced into 12 1/2 inch slices
6 oz mild goat cheese (such as Montchevre or Ile de France), sliced into 12 pieces
4 T extra virgin olive oil
*2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
*2 T dried Herbes de Provence (on the herb aisle)
*1 T fresh basil, chiffonade plus 1 T fresh parsley, finely chopped - mixed together
Heat oven to 325F. Spread approximately 1/2 oz goat cheese on each slice of bread. *Sprinkle one of the herb mixes on each toast top. Press lightly into goat cheese. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 5-7 minutes until warm.
Serve on top of fresh field greens tossed in vinaigrette.
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A Pinch of Nutmeg
I was helping my daughter with the “Tree Party” that her class was having - a seasonal celebration to learn about things that grow on trees. While her assignment was to bring chocolate chips, the foodie in me couldn’t let it rest at just chocolate chips. I like chocolate a lot, but I am not a chocoholic. (Many say that the love for chocolate is hereditary! My dad LOVES chocolate, but my mom could live without it.) I dug in the pantry searching for something more real than chocolate chips.
What I came up with was not chocolate at all, but was one of my favorite spices - nutmeg. On occasion I will purchase the powdered stuff, but I found “real McCoy,” whole nutmeg seed. I could get excited about this, much more so than about chocolate.
Like any good mom, I am trying to correct all my own deficiencies vicariously through my daughter. So, we began researching nutmeg. She even got excited about nutmeg. The Fourth Edition of FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst says the following:
Nutmeg: When Columbus sailed from Spain looking for the East Indies, nutmeg was one of the spices for which he was searching. Native to the Spice Islands, this seed from the nutmeg tree (a tropical evergreen) was extremely popular throughout much of the world from the 15th to the 19th century. When the fruit of the tree is picked, it is split to reveal the nutmeg seed surrounded by a lacy membrane that, when dried and ground, becomes the spice MACE. The hard, egg-shaped nutmeg seed is grayish-brown and about 1 inch long. The flavor and aroma are delicately warm, spicy and sweet. Nutmeg is sold ground or whole. Whole nutmeg freshly ground with a nutmeg grater or grinder is superior to that which is commercially ground and packaged. Nutmeg is excellent when used in baked goods, mild- or cream-based preparations like custarrds, white sauces or eggnog and on fruits and vegetables - particularly potatoes, spinach and squash.
Wouldn’t it be great to be referred to as “delicately warm, spicy and sweet?” Adding a touch of nutmeg to Butternut Squash Soup or to Beef Stroganoff adds another dimension to its flavor. Its aroma flourishes in warm apple cider and hot spiced wine. Below is the best Butternut Squash Soup recipe I have ever tried. It is from the November 1996 issue of BON APPETIT. It only adds a pinch of nutmeg, but that pinch makes a big difference. Page 196 in this issue is always stuck to page 197 when I break it out to make it again - and again.
Butternut Squash Soup
5 T. butter
1 large onion, choppped
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup whipping cream
Additional ground nutmeg
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute’ until tender, about 5 minutes. Add squash and saute’ 5 minutes. Add 4 cups broth and nutmeg. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes
Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Stir in cream. Bring soup to simmer. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional nutmeg. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, rewarm over medium heat, thinning with more broth if necessary.)
Happy Cooking and Eating!
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Is It Soup Yet?
You have to try really hard not to like soups. I’m not talking about the canned stuff that tastes like preserved preservatives. I’m talking about the homemade kind with a fragrance that lifts spirits and calms nerves. Many are hearty enough for game days and filling enough for growing football players. Why not call this one “White Chili” instead of soup? That might be more appealing to younger audiences or to those who somehow have managed not to like soups. It’s fabulous cooked in a clay pot but any soup pot will do.
White Chili with Adobo
2 T. olive oil
2 T. garlic marinade
2 c. cooked chicken
1 T. adobo sauce (from canned chipotles)
3 c. chicken broth
2 cans Great Northern white beans
1 ½ t. cumin
½ c. fresh roasted Hatch chilies (or 2 small cans green chilies)
1 t. fresh-ground black pepper
½ onion, diced
6 sweet-hot sliced jalapeños, chopped
3 T. chopped cilantro
Cilantro, green onions and Monterrey Jack cheese for garnish
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a clay pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add chicken, (Rotisserie chicken adds a nice flavor) beans, and broth, spices, garlic marinade, adobo sauce and cook until heated through. Add cilantro at the very end of cooking. Top with a Monterrey Jack, green onions and additional cilantro for garnish. Serve jalapeno cornbread or tortilla chips.
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Autumn Picnics in Texas
Although we often think of summer as the season for picnics, Texans know that autumn offers the best picnic weather available. A hike at Cameron Park followed by a loaf of crusty bread, some fall fruit and cheese, or an afternoon football game completed by a hearty tailgate picnic brings out that longed-for “Fall Feeling” we all have.
I love the flavors of tomatoes as summer ends and autumn begins. We have a few more weeks to enjoy them. That’s why a pesto, tomato, and cheese sandwich (see recipe below) brings just the right flavor for the advent of autumn. This is quick and easy and lets you get to the fun part of life.
Tomato, Pesto and Fresh Mozzarella Sandwiches
1 loaf crusty French Bread (sourdough is great, too)
1 large vine-ripened tomato
3 Tablespoons pesto (homemade is best. Email me for my favorite recipe)
Sliced Fresh Mozzarella
Slice French loaf long-wise. Spread pesto on both halves. Layer tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella. Top with other half of bread. You can also add some Kalamata olives or a little red wine vinegar for some extra zing. Assemble ahead of time, or just take the ingredients and throw it together at the park.
A nice sparkling water with lemon adds a sophisticated touch. Lori from Dicortes suggests adding an Australian Sauvignon Blanc. A Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County is a good accompaniment as the air cools off. (As long as you are in a location that allows alcoholic beverages!) Either way, enjoy the change of seasons in nature and spend more time outside.
Even my 6-year-old daughter will eat this, but I save the wine for myself. :)
Happy Eating!
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We made a brief stop in Solvang on a family vacation in 1981. It was memorable for three reasons: my mom got a job offer over a pay-phone, we ran into John Travolta (he chatted with us for a full 15 minutes), and the hot, delicious aebleskivers.
... read the full comment by Doug | Comment on Have You Ever Eaten Ebleskiver or Aebleskiver? Read Have You Ever Eaten Ebleskiver or Aebleskiver?
Cool site, love the info.
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One of the most fulfilling “communal” cooking experiences of my life was about 15 years ago, when I was living in South Carolina. My older sister Kathleen and I volunteered to make Christmas cookies with the children of the women living at our
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A very nice piece and so important, I think about working and eating together. Good luck with the class.
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