The First Taste of Summer

I know, I know 3 months is kind of a long time to not update the blog. There has been lots of delicious cooking going on, just not enough time to photograph and write about it all! So I think it's best to ease back into things with a simple -- albeit delicious -- recipe.

After working in the garden for a good part of Memorial Day, I had a hankering for lettuce. Seeing as mine wouldn't be ready for awhile (and may never be if those darn rabbits don't stay away) I picked up some arugula and found a recipe for a salad that mixes oranges and radishes with this spicy green. It was ridiculously refreshing and made me feel a little less guilty about the side of baby back pork ribs that went with it. So ribs or no, be sure to give this salad a try!

Orange and Radish Salad with Arugula

5 teaspoons lime juice from 1 to 2 limes
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium oranges - remove peel and pith then cut into segments
5 radishes - cut into discs or bite-sized wedges
4 ounces baby arugula (about 4 cups)

Whisk together lime juice, mustard, coriander, salt and pepper to taste in bowl. Whisking constantly, gradually add oil until emulsion forms. Add oranges and radishes to dressing. Toss to coat. Plate arugula, top with oranges and radishes, drizzle dressing on top.

Serve with side of meat if you've been gardening all day and are really hungry.

A is for Apple

I came to the realization, a few weeks ago, that my old food processor was more duct tape than appliance. It served me well for the past decade; a gift from my sister after moving into my first apartment in college. And while I sometimes enjoy the rustic and time honored tradition of using a fork to cut butter into flour, I knew the food processor needed replacing. Good thing I just had a birthday! Enter my new KitchenAid -- 12 cups of food processing glory. I wanted to take this baby for a test spin and an Apple Galette from Cooks Illustrated (Sept 2007) caught my eye.

One additional piece of kitchen equipment that will make your life easier when dealing with apple dishes is an apple mill such as the one shown here. They're relatively inexpensive ($15-20) and in the time it would take me to manually peel an apple with a paring knife, I can have 5 apples peeled, spiral sliced, and cored with this device. The other great thing is that the apples are cut to uniform thickness, which makes for a more attractive final dish. If you have a lot of flat counters get a model with a suction cup base. If you have counters with overhangs, go for the C-clamp style (which I prefer as the suction cups tend of fall off after awhile -- but don't worry you can still hold it down securely with one hand).

Apple Galette

Although any apple will work in this recipe, a firm tart apple is best like a Granny Smith or Empire. If you don't have an apple mill, halve the peeled apples and then use a melon baller or paring knife to remove the core from each half. Make sure to cut the apples uniformly and no thicker than 1/8 inch, otherwise they will be hard to shingle. The dough can be made 1-2 days in advance although if it has chilled longer than 1 hour, let it stand at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to soften. If the dough becomes soft and sticky while being rolled, transfer it to a baking sheet and refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes. Check the bottom of the galette halfway through baking-it should be a light golden brown. If it is darker, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Serve with vanilla ice cream, lightly sweetened whipped cream, or creme fraiche (as seen below). This dish is sturdy enough to eat with your hands so go for it! Store leftovers (if you're lucky enough to have any) in plastic wrap for 2-3 days. 

Dough:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 5/8-inch cubes (1 1/2 sticks)

8-10 tablespoons ice water

Apple Filling:

1 1/2 pounds apples (3-4 medium or 4-5 small), see note above

2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons apricot preserves

1 tablespoon water

Combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and sugar in food processor with three 1-second pulses. Scatter butter pieces over flour, pulse to cut butter into flour until butter pieces are size of large pebbles, about 1/2 inch, about six 1-second pulses.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over mixture and pulse once quickly to combine; repeat, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time and pulsing, until dough begins to form small curds that hold together when pinched with fingers (dough should look crumbly and should not form cohesive ball).

The following is a kneading technique called "fraisage" that helps to give the crust a flaky texture: Empty dough onto work surface and gather into rough rectangular mound about 12 inches long and 5 inches wide. Starting at farthest end, use heel of hand to smear small amount of dough against counter, pushing firmly down and away from you, to create a separate pile of dough (flattened pieces of dough should look shaggy). Continue process until all dough has been worked. Gather dough into rough 12 by 5-inch mound and repeat smearing process. Dough will not have to be smeared as much as first time and should form cohesive ball once entire portion is worked. Form dough into 4-inch square, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until cold and firm but still malleable, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

About 15 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core, and halve apples. Cut apple halves lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.

Place dough on floured 16 by 12-inch piece of parchment paper and dust with more flour. Roll dough until it just overhangs all four sides of parchment and is about 1/8 inch thick, dusting top and bottom of dough and rolling pin with flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Trim dough so edges are even with parchment paper.

Roll up 1 inch of each edge and pinch firmly to create 1/2-inch-thick border. Transfer dough and parchment to rimmed baking sheet.

Starting in one corner, shingle sliced apples to form even row across bottom of dough, overlapping each slice by about one-half. Continue to layer apples in rows, overlapping each row by half. Dot apples with butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake until bottom of tart is deep golden brown and apples have caramelized, 45 to 60 minutes.

While galette is cooking, combine apricot preserves and water in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium power until mixture begins to bubble, about 1 minute. Pass through fine-mesh strainer to remove any large apricot pieces. Brush baked galette with glaze and cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into individual portions; devour.

Cakes of the Pan

Listening to A Prairie Home Companion this week, Garrison interviewed an elderly meteorologist who lives in northern Minnesota. Needless to say, most of the conversation revolved around the stoicism that subzero temperatures breed. It made me wonder if a stack of pancakes and bacon would have made the man a little more cheerful. I mean, is there a problem in the world that thick-cut smoked bacon can't solve? Seeing as eating only bacon for breakfast is generally frowned upon, I wanted to share with you the recipe I use for tangy and fluffy buttermilk pancakes. Don't be intimidated; if you can make pancakes from Bisquick, then you can master this recipe. The key is combining the ingredients in stages and then, at the end, mixing the wet and dry ingredients until just combined--I repeat DON'T OVERMIX! You want your batter to harbor pea-sized pockets of flour and leavening that, upon cooking, burst open and give your pancake lift.

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

My favorite tool for cooking these pancakes is a cast iron skillet. It holds heat very well and, when treated properly, will be the best piece of non-stick cookware in your kitchen.  During cooking, rub 1/2 tsp. of oil inside the skillet every 2-3 pancakes. After a few, the residual oil in the towel will be sufficient to coat the surface. To clean cast iron, simply wipe out any cooked flecks of batter or oil with a paper towel -- never use soap! 

Makes 4-5 pancakes 

Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk (plus an extra tablespoon or so if batter is too thick)
1 large egg , separated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
vegetable oil (for brushing griddle)

Preheat oven to warm and heat griddle or cast iron skillet over strong medium-heat. 

Mix dry ingredients (flour through baking soda) in medium bowl. Pour buttermilk and milk into 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Whisk in egg white; mix yolk with melted butter, then stir into milk mixture. Dump wet ingredients into dry ingredients all at once; whisk until just mixed.

Brush griddle generously with oil. When water splashed on surface confidently sizzles, pour batter, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time, onto griddle. When pancake bottoms are brown and top surface starts to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes, flip cakes and cook until remaining side has browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Hold pancakes in oven till ready to serve. Re-oil the skillet periodically.

November 26th--Turkey Friday

Everyone is well aware of "Black Friday," a day for bargain purchases. The best find though is not at Target, REI, or even Amazon.com. Instead, it's at your local grocery store; it contains all the orphan turkeys not lucky enough to find a home for Thanksgiving. These birds won't keep till Christmas so they're priced to move. And move you should!

This year, I was intrigued by a glazed turkey recipe in Cooks Illustrated. The turkey is butterflied (i.e. you rip out the backbone--a true test of the quality of your kitchen shears), roasted for a few hours, then basted with either a cranberry-molasses or apple-maple glaze. This recipe is a departure from my usual ritual, which begins with brining. The advantage of this recipe is that you can go from store to oven in only a few hours. I will say the meat is not as juicy as a brined bird, but it's still very acceptable. Perhaps what I like most about this recipe is the baking powder rub that goes on the outside of the bird which REALLY helps crisp up the skin in the oven. Since I only had one bird, I tried the cranberry-molasses glaze. If I did this again, I'd probably cut back on the amount of vinegar and mustard which I found overpowering.

If you'd like the recipe, it can be found in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Cooks Illustrated. Below, I offer a photographic summary of the day's labors.

Glazed Turkey with Cranberry-Molasses Glaze

Cranberries about to simmer in apple cider, ginger, and vinegar

The roasted bird...looks good doesn't it?

If you prefer dark meat, this cut is for you.

A tongue of sage for the potatoes.

Turkey isn't complete without potatoes and homemade gravy!

Giving Thanks for Root Vegetables

I am very thankful for yesterday; a day spent with amazing people AND amazing food. You know it was a feast because the number of desserts nearly outnumbered the number of main/side dishes! There was a fantastic apple coffecake, Cazuela pie, freeform fruit tart, and a parsnip spice cake. I wish I could post recipes for all of them but since I only made the latter that's what I'll share with you.

Often shoved into the corner of the produce section, parsnips look like albino carrots. Also like carrots they're root vegetables but perhaps a touch more bitter. Regardless, they can be transformed into an amazing cake with a little work. 

Parsnip Spice Cake with Maple Icing

The maple icing hardens very quickly and is NOT spreadable once it cools--so don't wait too long before applying it to the top of the cake. The cake is wonderful as a dessert or served at brunch alongside a strong tea like Earl Grey, to balance the icing's sweetness.

Cake:

1  pound  parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1 inch thick rounds.

1  cup  packed dark brown sugar

1/2  cup  granulated sugar

5  tablespoons butter, melted

1  teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2  cup apple juice

3  cups all-purpose flour

2  teaspoons baking soda

1  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1  teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2  teaspoon salt

3/4  cup 1% milk

Cooking spray

Icing:

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2  cup 1% milk

2  tablespoons butter

1/4  teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped or whole pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the parsnip in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer over medium heat 20 minutes or until tender then drain. While parsnips cook, toast pecans then transfer to a bowl to cool.

Place the drained parsnip, 1 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 5 tablespoons butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, add apple juice and mix well with a hand or stand mixer.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup milk alternately to parsnip mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 inch pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack, 2-3 hours. To speed up cooling: cool in pan for 10 min, then remove and cool cake on wire rack and return to pan or serving platter for icing.

To prepare icing, combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer until slightly thick (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat with a mixer at medium speed until icing is smooth and only slightly warm. (Icing will continue to thicken as it cools.)

Working quickly, spread the icing over the top of the cake the layer and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Allow icing to cool to room temperature. For storage, cover cake with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Reheat slices in microwave (15-30 seconds) before serving.

Aloha Deliciousness

Autumn in Ann Arbor is synonymous with traffic jams and tailgating; courtesy of the Big House which sits half a mile from my apartment. It will soon be too cold to fire up the grill, but before that happened I wanted one last hoorah with the Webber. For some reason I was really in the mood for a teriyaki burger. Maybe it's the refrigerator full of Asian sauces I inherited or nostalgia over Sunday evening post-UPC trips to Red Robin with my sister's family; who knows. Regardless, give this a try before you pack away the grill for the season.

Teriyaki Burger with Grilled Pineapple

It's OK if you buy pre-ground beef to make these burgers...but if you've never had home-ground beef, you don't know what you're missing! The texture and flavor of the burger is orders of magnitude better than the stuff you buy. All you need to grind your own beef is a food processor. Alton Brown can walk you through the process (skip to 5:45 for the really relevant demonstration) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Lj-ZSVvWI&feature=related.

Ingredients

8 oz. chuck steak, trimmed, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

8 oz. sirloin, trimmed, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 c. chopped green onions

1 tbsp teriyaki sauce or soy sauce

1 tsp peeled fresh ginger, grated (a microplane works well)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 28 oz. can pineapple rings, drained well

Hamburger buns

Lettuce

Mayo

vegetable oil

Serves 3

1. Place trimmed and cut beef on parchment paper in freezer (DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT, LEST YOU END UP WITH BEEF-SICLES).

2. Remove beef from freezer (should be stiff but still pliable). Pulse approximately 1/3 of the meat in a food processor (1 second pulse, 10 times) and transfer to mixing bowl. Return any excessively large pieces to the processor and process with next batch of beef. Repeat until all meat has been processed. Pick out any gristle.

Omit steps 1-2 if using preground beef (wimp).

3. Combine beef through garlic, mixing well with hand. Form meat into 5 oz patties, making a depression in the center with your thumb (this will help prevent the burger from puffing up during cooking).

4. Place pineapple rings on paper towel and blot off any excess liquid. Transfer to plate and use 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil to lightly coat the rings.

5. Cook burger on grill, flipping once, to desired degree of wellness. Transfer to plate, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes.

6. Sear pineapple rings on grill, 1-3 minutes per side. Toast buns on grill, apply mayo, assemble burger and devour.

Transforming Brunch Leftovers

I love a good leisurely weekend brunch. When faced with what to make, I usually go for either blueberry buttermilk pancakes or french toast. Well it just so happens that this past weekend I had the opportunity to cook on two different mornings. The first morning I satisfied my pancake/french toast craving and was left to consider what to make on the second. Surveying my kitchen I found half a loaf of challah bread (left over from the french toast), eggs, cheese and a sage plant (courtesy of some friends). The sage made me think savory and got me digging through my freezer. A few chilled fingers later, my hands emerged having located some ground pork. It was decided; this morning called for a skillet strata.

Skillet Strata with Sausage and Herbs

For a vegetarian alternative, use your favorite textured soy substitute in place of pork. Gruyére is also good in place of Cheddar. Don't trim the crust from the bread or the strata will be dense and eggy. A 10-inch skillet is also critical for obtaining the right thickness and texture.

6 large eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dry thyme)

1 tbsp fresh sage, minced (or 1 tsp dry)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, minced

8 oz raw pork

1/2 tsp salt

5-7 thick slices of day old bread (preferrably challah) cut into 1 inch cubes

Adjust oven rack to middle positon and heat to 425. Whisk the eggs, milk, thyme, sage and pepper together. Stir in cheese and set aside.

Melt butter in a 10-inch ovensafe and non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and salt and cook till softened 3-5 minutes. Add crumbled pork and cook till lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add the bread and using a spatula carefully fold the bread into the sausage/onion mixture until its evenly coated. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes till bread is lightly toasted.

Off the heat, add the egg mixture until well combined with the bread--make sure that cheese is evenly distributed! Gently press on the strata to help the bread soak up the egg mixture and bake till the edges and center are puffed and the edges have pulled away from the pan, about 12 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Put Down that Spoon!

Historically, a good risotto is inseparable from a forearm workout. Anyone who has made it knows the regimen. Small amounts of broth are added to the pan while a wooden spoon orbits about, coaxing starch out of the rice, giving risotto its unmistakable texture. I find the process therapeutic. It's also one of the few culinary activities that one can perform while having a genuine conversation with guests. I contrast this to most other chit-chat that happens during food prep, such as chopping vegetables, in which I usually pay more attention to the paring knife than the parlance (don't anyone act shocked--I don't want to loose a finger anymore than you want me to bleed all over your food).

This is all to say, though, that a recent issue of Cooks Illustrated featured an "Almost Hands-Free Risotto" recipe and I figured I'd give it a try. I was presently surprised; the risotto had a creamy texture and the rice was nice and firm. So if you wanna give your forearms a rest, give it a metaphorical whirl. Actual whirling is not encouraged--that's the whole point.

Chicken Risotto with Herbs

Ingredients

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces each), each cut in half crosswise

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)

Table salt

1 large garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Ground black pepper

Bring broth and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain gentle simmer.

Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip chicken and cook second side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to saucepan of simmering broth and cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate and keep liquid just below a simmer. 

Add 2 tablespoons butter to now empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. When butter has melted, add onion and 3/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes.

Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 5 cups hot broth into rice; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 18 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.

Add ¾ cup hot broth to risotto and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove and discard skin and bones from chicken, and shred meat into bite-size pieces. Gently stir shredded chicken, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, parsley, and chives into risotto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add up to ½ cup additional broth to loosen texture of risotto.

Channeling Julia

This recipe has been sitting in the queue for far too long. I actually prepared it last summer while staying with my sister's family in Seattle. It is one of those dishes where you want to set aside a good majority of the day for the undertaking. Yes it is A LOT of work but the results are simply amazing. It's easily the second most delicious stew I've ever tasted; the cioppino at the Pink Door in Seattle is currently the 1st place holder. I was also reminded of the recipe because a member of my old wine club back in Boston made the dish for our reunion this past month.

Bon appétit!

Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew in Red Wine)

This recipe comes courtesy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child et al. I have made a few modifications, most notably increasing the amount of vegetables called for from the original version. As for wine, I used a bottle of Casa Emma, a 2005 Chianti. The mushrooms and pearl onions are cooked separately and added prior to serving. See the end of this recipe for those directions.

Instead of serving over buttered noodles, you can also serve over rice or potatoes. Be sure to have a side of bread to soak up this amazing sauce!

Ingredients

6 slices of thick bacon (approximately 1/3 lb)

3-5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

3 lbs. rump roast, trimmed of fat cut into 2 in cubes (chuck roast or sirloin tip are also acceptable), and patted dry

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 in thick

1 onion, sliced into crescents

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. flour

3 c. of a full-bodied young red wine such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Burgundy or Chianti (a full bottle of wine is about 3 1/2 cups)

2 to 3 c. of beef stock

1 Tbsp tomato paste

2 large garlic cloves, mashed

1/2 tsp thyme

1 1/2 bay leaf

4 parsley springs (plus some for garnish)

cheesecloth

18-24 small white pearl onions (about 1 inch in diameter), peeled

1 lb fresh white mushrooms (left whole if small, quartered if large)

Preheat oven to 450 °F.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 6-9 quart oven-safe casserole (or dutch oven) on medium heat and saute the bacon for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly brown. Remove to side dish with a slotted spoon and crumble. Increase the heat on the dutch oven to medium-high until oil is almost smoking. Saute the beef (it is important that you dry the beef before placing it in the pan, otherwise it will not brown!), a few pieces at a time in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned, approximately 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove and add to a separate side dish.

In the same fat cook the sliced carrot and onion, on medium heat, until browned, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove the vegetables and pour out any remaining fat (but be sure to leave any browned bits on the bottom of the pan).

Return the cooked vegetables and beef to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. Then sprinkle with the flour and toss again to lightly coat the contents. Set dutch oven, uncovered, in the middle position of the oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 more minutes (this browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust). Remove the dutch-oven and turn the oven down to 325 °F.

Stir in the wine and enough beef stock so that the meat is barely submerged. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove and using a wooden spoon scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Then cover and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 2-3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking. Prepare the onions and mushrooms (see recipes below). Set them aside until needed.

When the meat is tender, use a slotted spoon to remove the solid contents from the dutch oven, leaving only the liquid. Combine the meat and vegetables (including onions and mushrooms) in a large bowl or serving dish (feel free to add back the bacon from earlier too, I like to add it this point because if it simmers with the beef, the bacon becomes very tough).

To the liquid, add any juice from the sauteed mushrooms or browned onions. Skim any fat off the surface of the liquid in the dutch oven, there should be approximately 2 1/2 c, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock.

For immediate serving: Top a bed of buttered egg noodles (cooked according to package directions, then tossed with butter) with the meat and vegetables, then spoon sauce over the dish. Garnish with a sprig of parsley.

For later serving: Combine meat, vegetables, and sauce. Once cooled, refrigerate. Reheat on stove top gently simmering for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with sauce.

Champignons Sautes au Beurre (Sauteed Mushrooms)

It is critical that the mushrooms are dry, the butter is very hot and the pan is not crowded. If you crowd the mushrooms while cooking they will steam instead of fry; their juices escape and they do not brown. So it's best to saute the mushrooms in 2 batches with a large 12 inch skillet.

Place a skillet over high heat with 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil. As soon as the butter fom begins to subsite, add 1/2 lb of mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Repeat with other 1/2 lb of mushrooms and set aside with first batch.

Oignons Glaces a Brun (Brown-Braised Onions)

Combine 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 3 inch sprig of fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried thyme) in cheesecloth and tie closed.

Place a 8 or 10 inch skillet over medium heat, add 1 1/2 Tbsp butter and 1 1/2 Tbsp oil till the butter begins to bubble. Add the pearl onions, rolling gengly every minute so they brown nicely (will take approximately 10 minutes total). You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Pour in 1/2 c. of beef stock and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 30-40 minutes, until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape. Remove the herb bouquet, and combine onion and juices with sauteed mushrooms (above).

Caroline Remebered

As many of you know, I returned home this summer for the funeral of my Grandmother Caroline. Even though Caroline was born in South Dakota, her love of polka and the Lutheran Church gave away her German heritage. When I was younger, we'd visit her home in Oregon and two common breakfast foods that she'd serve were grapefruit and shredded wheat bars. Do not be mistaken, this shredded wheat was neither frosted nor mini, it was the size of a small loaf and had to be softened in milk. In her later years, through, Grandmother developed quite a sweet tooth. So when I came across this recipe for a German apple pancake, that features a healthy amount of brown sugar, I though "this is a dish she would have thoroughly enjoyed."

If you're in the mood for something savory, you can replace the brown sugar and cinnamon with some diced ham and fresh minced sage.

German Apple Pancake

A 10-inch ovenproof skillet is necessary for this recipe; I highly recommend using a nonstick skillet for the sake of easy cleanup, but a regular skillet will work as well. You can also use a cast-iron pan; if you do, set the oven temperature to 425 degrees in step 1, and when cooking the apples in step 3, cook them only until just barely golden, about 6 minutes. Cast iron retains heat better than stainless steel, making the higher oven temperature unnecessary. If you prefer tart apples, use Granny Smiths; if you prefer sweet ones, use Braeburns. For serving, dust the apple pancake with confectioners' sugar.

Serves 1-2 people

Ingredients

½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon table salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup half-and-half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ¼ pounds Braeburn or Fuji apples (3 to 4 large apples), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

¼ cup light or dark brown sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

confectioners' sugar for dusting

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 500 degrees.

Whisk to combine flour, granulated sugar, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, and vanilla until combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry and whisk until no lumps remain, about 20 seconds; set batter aside.

Heat butter in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon; cook, stirring frequently with heatproof rubber spatula, until apples are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice.

Working quickly, pour batter around edges of pan and then and the middle. Place skillet in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees; bake until pancake edges are brown and puffy and have risen above edges of skillet, about 15-18 minutes.

Using oven mitts to protect hands, remove hot skillet from oven and loosen pancake edges with heatproof rubber spatula; invert pancake onto serving platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve!

Friendships forged in a deep fryer

Nearly a whole year since I last updated this blog...truly unbelievable. Well for those of you who don't know, I've relocated to Ann Arbor and am working as a postdoc in the Chemistry department at the University of Michigan. I've been blessed to work in a lab with three other amazing postdocs: Lori, Malathy, and Will. Lori hosted a monthly potluck at her place which came to be known as "Lori's Food Club." Needless to say, sharing a passion for food and deep frying (we made fish and chips for the Superbowl) we bonded rather quickly. Lori and her husband John just moved to California for a job. Before their departure, they deposited 5 boxes of assorted kitchen goodies at my place. Two of these boxes were entirely full of oils, spices, and sauces. So it seemed a fitting tribute to Lori and John to whip up some vegetable tempura and put those sauces to use. Besides red peppers, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms you could also try using green beans, scallions, eggplant, asparagus, chicken or shrimp.

Tempura

Do not omit the vodka; it is critical for a crisp coating. For safety, use a Dutch oven with a capacity of at least 7 quarts. Be sure to begin mixing the batter when the oil reaches 385 degrees (the final temperature should reach 400 degrees). It is important to maintain a high oil temperature throughout cooking. The temperature will drop once you add your food so after the first batch of frying check the temperature again and adjust stovetop accordingly. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces (I like soy sauce, garlic chili paste, sweet chili sauce) and rice.

Serves 3-5 people

Ingredients

3 quarts vegetable or canola oil

2-3 pounds vegetables (see above)

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup cornstarch

1 large egg

1 cup (average priced) vodka

1 cup seltzer water

Kosher salt

Dipping sauces

White Rice

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels and place a wire cooling rack on top then place lined sheet w/ rack in oven.

Prepare vegetables by slicing peppers into 1/4 in thick strips, zucchini and onions into 1/4 in thick rounds, and halving (or quartering very large) mushrooms. Lay out on paper towel to remove any moisture.

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. In large, heavy Dutch oven fitted with clip-on candy thermometer, heat oil over high heat to 385 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes. Alternatively, monitor occasionally with an instant read thermometer.

Whisk flour and cornstarch together in large bowl. Whisk egg and vodka together in second large bowl. Whisk seltzer water into egg mixture.

When oil reaches 385 degrees, pour liquid mixture into bowl with flour mixture and whisk gently until just combined (it is OK if small lumps remain). Submerge 6-10 vegetable pieces in batter. Using tongs, remove vegetables from batter 1 at a time, allowing excess batter to drip off, and carefully place in oil (temperature should now be at 400 degrees). Fry, stirring with chopstick or slotted spoon to prevent sticking, until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to rack in oven to keep warm.

Return oil to 400 degrees, about 2-4 minutes, and repeat with another batch of vegetables. Once all vegetables are cooked, arrange on a platter with rice.

My little green friend

Some of you may remember a June 2008 Enchiladas Verdes recipe in which I discovered tomatillos. Ever since, I've been a fan of these little green wonders. I've spent this summer between grad school and postdoc in Seattle with my sister's family. One of the first things we did was go to the local nursery to spruce up her outdoor deck and to load up the garden. To our surprise and delight we found little baby tomatillo plants and purchased three.


Should any of you wish to undertake a similar enterprise, be advised, these plants grow at an astonishing rate! What began as a 9 inch seedling was over 6 feet tall in just under a month. Certain sunny days I swear I could see the plant grow before my eyes. It took some chicken wire to secure and stabalize the plant and about this time the beautiful yellow blossoms started to grow papery husks, the future home of the tomatillo. At two months the plant was covered with these husks, which in the sunset looked like green japanese paper lanterns. At three months, we decided to harvest and had enough to make enchiladas verdes...but what to do with the other 1.5 lbs?


Thankfully, we in the Pacific Northwest live in an agricultural paradise and my sister's house was overflowing with peaches (a special thanks to my Aunt Eunice for getting us an extra box of O'Henry Peaches)! So I found a great salsa recipe and swapped out the mangos for the peaches. Enjoy!


Rosted Tomatillo-Peach Salsa
The origonal recipe called for mangos instead of peaches, either is delicious. Balanced by the sweet peaches, the tomatillos give this salsa a nice sour tang. Don't overprocess the salsa in the food processor, there should be visible white bits of onion.

Makes 3-4 cups of salsa

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos
1 large jalapeño pepper (optional, I find 1/2 a pepper gives enough heat for me)
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 cups finely diced peeled peaches (about 2-3 large)

Preheat broiler.

To prepare salsa, discard the husks and stems from tomatillos, rinse and dry. Remove stem from jalapeño. Place tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, and garlic on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil until the tomatillos and onions are lightly charred (about 8 minutes total), turning once; cool.

Peel garlic. Place garlic, tomatillos, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor; pulse 5-10 times or until ingredients are coarsely chopped (don't over do it!). Place tomatillo mixture in a large bowl; stir in mango.

He's back...

After a few conversations with some friends and a near-death experience with a Jesuit, I decided it's time that I get back to blogging about my passion for food. "I'm just so busy" is an excuse that I use far too often and it begs the question, "what then does one fill his or her time with to cause such temporal clutter?" St. Ignatius would be quick to ask the follow-up question "are these activities life giving, do they feed your deepest desires and cause you to grow into a more loving person?"

I'm not going to try and list for you everything that I've been consumed with for the past 9 months since my last blog entry, but what I'd like you to take away from this little reflection is that we have the power to choose what fills our spare time and I'm hoping that I'll be a little more intentional about sharing my culinary discoveries through this blog.

One other change, which is apropos to the focus of this blog is that I'm no longer on a gluten-free diet. It was a bit of an experiment in the first place, to see how my body would respond without gluten. What I discovered is that I can have small amounts here and there without consequence. However, if I have a few slices of jet-puffed wonder bread every day for a week...watch out. As a result, I'll still try to highlight gluten-free recipes on this blog but I'll also be including some gluten-laden ones as well.

Now that the rambling is over, let's get to the food! Tonight for dinner I had cedar-plank grilled salmon with green beans (see blog archives for the salmon recipe) and a cheese plate. It's the cheese that I'd like to share with you this evening.


The first cheese (wedge shaped in the picture) was Petit Basque cheese from France. It's a semi-soft sheep's milk cheese that has a texture similar to provolone and a flavor like a mild cheddar. I think it would be dynamite as a fondue cheese but was very good on it's own.


The second cheese (small round in the picture) was a local artisan cheese called Fresh with Ewe (http://www.willapahillsfarmsteadcheese.com/farmsteadcheese.html). It's also a sheep's milk cheese but has a blue cheese rind on it. It's a very creamy cheese and spreads easily, while it doesn't have a strong aroma it packs a good amount of blue "punch." If you're looking to ease your way into blue cheeses this may be a good place to start. I also think it would be awesome paired with beef or in a salad.

It's not too early to plan for Turkey Day 2009!

I apologize that there has been such a hiatus in my posting. I've been busting my butt trying to write a paper for my advisor and, as a result, my recipes have been piling up. Now if you were dissatisfied with your Thanksgiving turkey this year, here's a heads-up for 2009.

It all began (like so many things) during a lunchtime discussion in our group's breakroom. We were imagining what Sarah Palin's family eats (see picture at the end for our hypothesis) and with all this food talk, and Thanksgiving being right around the corner, I thought that our lab should have a little Thanksgiving dinner. I thought this was a good idea because a) so many people in our lab like to cook b) even more like to eat and c) I wanted to introduce the foreign students (especially from Japan) to an American holiday that celebrates large quantities of food and napping.

The invitation was simple--bring something that for you symbolizes Thanksgiving dinner...and should you not celebrate Thanksgiving in your country, a dish that you really enjoy. As host, I undertook preparation of the poultry but we also had a fantastic array of dishes from the traditional (sweet potatoes, cheesy potatoes, mashed potatoes) to the exotic (smoked salmon sushi--Japan, pierogies filled with pork and sauerkraut--Poland, and potato-bacon pancakes--Germany).




As for the bird, I fused a recipe from Cooks Illustrated for the preparation with Alton Brown's method for cooking. The key is brining! None of the steps that follow are difficult, it just takes time and the right equipment. So keep up, here we go.

Thanksgiving Roast Turkey

This recipe is for a 15lb turkey, cooking times and ingredients may need to be scaled for a larger bird. Also don't wait till the last minute to buy your turkey--especially if it's frozen!! A 15 lb. turkey will take at least 3-4 days to thaw in your refrigerator (and add an extra day for brining). Remember to place it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any liquid.

Equipment:
Roasting Pan
V-rack (for roasing pan)
Digital thermometer with probe
Aluminium foil

Ingredients:
1 15lb turkey (thawed)

2 gallons water
4 carrots (chopped)
2 onions (chopped)
4 celery stalks (chopped)
1 tsp. peppercorns
3 bay leaves

1 1/4 c. parsley (chopped)
4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp fresh sage (chopped)
1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
1 medium shallot (chopped)
2 medium garlic cloves (chopped)
3/4 tsp lemon zest
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 c. olive oil

Step 1: The Brine
Combine 1 gallon of water, 4 carrots (chopped), 1 onion (chopped), 4 celery stalks (chopped), 3 bay leaves, and 1 tsp. peppercorns. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour. Remove solids then add 1 1/2 c. salt and 1/2 c. brown sugar. Stir to dissolve. Let brine chill completely (ideally overnight in your refrigerator).


Remove thawed turkey from package and extract neck, gizzard, heart (and any other "parts" that come with the turkey--reserve if you want, I never do). Rinse turkey under cool water and transfer to a 5 gallon plastic pail (breast down, so the legs are sticking up) with lid.


If you live somewhere cold (40 °F or below): Add chilled brine then an additional 1 gallon of cold water. Cover pail and place outside to keep cold (between 5–40 °F) for 6-12 hours.

If you live somewhere warm (above 40 °F): Choose one:
A) Repeat instructions for if you "live somewhere cold" and park the pail in your refrigerator.
B) Add chilled brine then 8 c. ice and 8 c. chilled water. Monitor temperature every 1-2 hours to make sure it stays below 40 °F, add additional ice if necessary. Using an insulated cooler instead of a pail will help keep it colder longer if you resort to option B.


Step 2: The Rub
Remove turkey from brine and rinse liberally with cold water (rinse inside the cavity too). Pat dry with a paper towel. Combine parsley through black pepper in food processor and blend with ten to twelve 10-second pulses. Add Dijon mustard and olive oil. Pulse an additional five times (10-seconds each pulse) and scrape down sides with spatual. Repeat five 10-second pulses. It should look like pesto at this point (see picture).


With a knive make a small incesion near the top of the breast where the skin flops over (opposite end of the cavity). Using your hands, loosen the skin from the breast and thights (you'll be amazed how stretchy the skin can get--whoohoo biology). Evenly rub paste on meat beneith skin. Finally, brush the outside of the turkey skin with canola or vegetable oil (use a brush or paper towel).

Step 3: The Heat
Preheat oven to 500 °F.

Prepare a foil "breast plate" by taking 2 sheets of aluminum foil and fold the ends over to make a traingle at one end (see pictures). Now, gently mold the foil onto the breast of the raw turkey and remove (making sure to retain it's shape). This is so that you don't have to cover the breast with your hands when it's 500 °F! Finally, insert digital probe into breast (making sure not to hit bone). See Alton Brown on You Tube for a helpful video on this section.


Place turkey into V-rack (breast up) in roasting pan. Place in oven for 30 min. Then remove and cover breast with pre-formed aluminum "breast plate." Return to oven, reduce heat to 350 °F, and bake until breast reads 161 °F (thigh should be around 180 °F at this point--double check with thermometer). The turkey should be done in about 2 hours at 350 °F (so 2.5 hours total). Remove and cover with aluminum foil and a few dish towels, let rest 20-30 minutes.

Carve and devour!


Finally-- What we envision the Palin family served for Thanksgiving.


From Bottom to Top: moose (chopped), ritz crackers, salmon hash, easy mac, crumbled hot dogs and velveeta, tater tots and cream of mushroom soup, french's onion rings and shredded AMERICAN cheese, sprinkled moose, corn flakes.

Baked Palin...I mean Alaska

Disclaimer: IT'S NOT GLUTEN-FREE (but you could easily make it so by substituting a GF cake).

The vice presidential debate was last night and my roommate and I hosted a little "viewing party," complete with foods to honor the two candidates. Our labmate Megan made cookies (initially she was going to make macaroons to represent Delaware but they fell through) and I made Baked Alaska to represent Sarah Palin (because I think many of her positions are about as substantial as the fluffy meringue topping on the dessert).

While the debate lacked the kind of fireworks we were hoping for, there was plenty of fire when the Baked Alaska came out. If you've never made it before, it's really not that difficult. It just takes a little time and common sense (and having a dad who's a firefighter is a big plus).

Baked Alaska
If anyone knows of a good GF cake recipe that tastes ok after it's chilled, let me know. The reason I used a normal gluten cake is because most GF cakes taste really grainy and dry once they're refrigerated or frozen.

For the base:
1 9x13 cake (any flavor--I used chocolate)
2 quarts ice cream (any flavor--I used vanilla)

For the meringue:
1/2 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
6 egg whites (at room temperature)
3/4 c. sugar

Prepare cake according to instructions. Cool completely then transfer to a foil lined baking sheet (with rims). Allow ice cream to stand at room temperature 5 minutes then scoop out slices and place on top of cake (like puzzle pieces), as the ice cream becomes pliable, smooth the pieces together to form a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

Prior to serving, preheat oven to 425 °F. Combine water, 1 1/2 tsp sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Heat till boiling with constant whisking. The mixture will turn translucent and thick (the consistency of pudding). Remove from heat and cover with lid.

Combine egg whites in a large mixing bowl and beat on high till frothy (about 1 minute). Add vanilla and cream of tartar, beat till soft peaks form (see pictures). Then add 1 c. sugar and beat till stiff peaks form. Finally, add the cornstarch "pudding" from above and beat at high for 20 seconds to incorporate.

"Soft Peaks"


"Stiff Peaks"



Remove plastic wrap and spread meringue over cake like frosting. Be sure to cover sides of cake with meringue, to create a complete seal between the cake and the baking sheet (basically, you should only see meringue, no cake). Finish by making little "peaks" on the meringue using the back of a spoon and quick pulling motions.

To finish you have two options:

Option 1: Brown meringue completely in oven---In this case, bake 4-8 minutes (depending on oven) until top is well browned like a marshmallow.

Option 2: Watch Video. Lightly brown in oven then flambe at table---Bake 3-5 minutes (depending on oven) until the tips of the meringue peaks look tan (not brown) and it smells fragrant. While the meringue is baking, place 1/8 c. alcohol (must be at least 80 proof!! I like Grand Marnier) in a metal 1 c. measuring cup and heat on stove till you see small bubbles start to form (don't go too long or you'll boil off all the ethanol). Remove meringue from oven once tan, place on table, ignite alcohol in measuring cup and pour over top of meringue. Voila!