I bought 100 key limes for our cinco de Mayo party we had a couple of weekends ago. Margaritas taste best when using key limes. Unfortunately, due to their miniature size, you need about 2 1/2 limes for each margarita, which can really give your wrists a work out, so wouldn't you know, the regular sized limes were used leaving me with a few dozen key limes. What does one do with key limes? Make key lime pie of course. And so I researched a few recipes for this classic southern dessert. I found little variance on the ingredients in the custard. Some recipes called for baking the pie, some relied purely on the reaction between the eggs and the lime juice to create a custard-like filling. I had no problem deciding to use the baked variation, as it claimed to result in a creamier consistency. The piece of this pie that kept me searching for a better solution was the crust. All the recipes I found called for a graham cracker crust, made by crushing either purchased or home made graham crackers. Of course, I didn't want to buy graham crackers that would contain hydrogenated oils and I didn't like the idea of having to make the crackers to ultimately crush them for a crust making a simple key lime pie an all-day ordeal. I thought why not make a home made graham cracker crust in one step? I looked back at my own graham cracker recipe and using the ratios from my favorite pastry crust, created a graham pastry crust. It turned out to be a simple and tasty alternative that contains no hydrogenated oils.
The following recipe can be made in a 9 inch pie plate, but the pastry crust works well in a 9 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, plus it looks more elegant.
Key Lime Pie with Graham Pastry Crust
1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's Red Mill) or white whole wheat flour (King Arthur)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 Tablespoons cold water
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Blend in the cold butter with a pastry blender or your findertips until you have pea sized chunks. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cold water with the honey, molasses and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the butter and flour mixture, stirring with a fork to bring the dough together into a ball. When just starting to come together, turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gather into three or four separate pieces. Them "shmear" each piece against the countertop once with the palm of your hand to distribute the fat. Gather the dough together forming a disc, wrap in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4 Large Egg Yolks
4 teaspoons grated lime zest (from about 12 key limes)
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 14 key limes)
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and zest until thick and creamy with a light green tint. Whisk in the milk, then the lime juice. Cover and set aside allowing to thicken while baking the crust.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Remove the cooled pastry dough from the refrigerator, unwrapping the dough, but leaving it on top of the plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out on top of the plastic wrap until it is about 12 inches in diameter or is large enough to fit into your pie or tart pan. Using the plastic wrap to transport the dough, place the dough over the pan, plastic side up. Remove the plastic wrap and fit the dough into the pie or tart pan, trimming the excess from the sides. Cover the dough with tin foil and weight with pie weights or rice. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
When the pastry crust has baked for 20 minutes, remove from oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Pour the set custard filling into the baked crust and return the pie to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until the center is firm. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. Serve chilled with sweetened whipped cream.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Dirty Dozen
There are many reasons to choose to eat organic food. My family's health is my main priority, but the fossil fuels used to fertilize and transport food is a growing concern, especially as the prices of oil and gas sky rocket. Unfortunately, organic does not mean local, so many foods that do not use petroleum-derived fertilizers are driven across numerous states before they are finally sold and consumed. Here in the bay area, we have the luxury of being able to buy sustainably grown food raised locally on small farms. We are able to use our food dollars to provide a better way of life for small farmers and in turn get a higher quality product.
I often hear the complaint that organic is too expensive. It can be more expensive, especially when your only option is to buy them from a store. Fortunately, farmer's markets are becoming ever more popular so more consumers have the option of buying directly from the source. Not only is buying directly from the farmer more cost effective, but it also gives one the opportunity to ask how and where something was grown. For example, if it isn't "certified" organic, the farmer can explain why.
I realize that not all of us have the time to shop at farmer's markets and sometimes you find yourself choosing between organic and non-organic produce in the supermarket. There are undoubtedly price differences between the organic and conventional and perhaps you cannot even find certain vegetables grown organically. As I mentioned earlier, my family's health is my main priority and it might be yours too, so here is a little tool from Environmental Working Group to help make those decisions. It's the Dirty Dozen, the twelve most contaminated vegetables and the twelve least contaminated. I am now more comfortable buying conventionally grown avocados (number 2 on the least contaminated list) and put more emphesis on buying those grown in California. You'd be surprised how often I see a "grown in chile" sticker on a bumpy skinned Haas. On the other hand, there are certain things I will only buy organic mainly because they taste so much better and those things just happen to be on the Dirty Dozen list. For example the celery I buy is actually green with slender stalks that have flavor- a far cry from the pale green, overgrown stalks you find in the grocery store.
These are the ones you'll want to choose organic varieties of if at all possible:
1) Peaches
2) Apples
3) Sweet bell peppers
4) Celery
5) Nectarines
6) Strawberries
7) Cherries
8) Lettuce
9) Grapes (imported)
10) Pears
11) Spinach
12) Potatoes
And, when organic is not available or very cost prohibitive, these are the least likely to have pesticide residues:
1) Onions
2) Avocados
3) Sweet Corn ( frozen)
4) Pineapples
5) Mango
6) Sweet peas (frozen)
7) Asparagus
8) Kiwi
9) Bananas
10) Cabbage
11) Broccoli
12) Eggplant
You can download a wallet-sized version at FoodNews from Environmental Working Group.
I often hear the complaint that organic is too expensive. It can be more expensive, especially when your only option is to buy them from a store. Fortunately, farmer's markets are becoming ever more popular so more consumers have the option of buying directly from the source. Not only is buying directly from the farmer more cost effective, but it also gives one the opportunity to ask how and where something was grown. For example, if it isn't "certified" organic, the farmer can explain why.
I realize that not all of us have the time to shop at farmer's markets and sometimes you find yourself choosing between organic and non-organic produce in the supermarket. There are undoubtedly price differences between the organic and conventional and perhaps you cannot even find certain vegetables grown organically. As I mentioned earlier, my family's health is my main priority and it might be yours too, so here is a little tool from Environmental Working Group to help make those decisions. It's the Dirty Dozen, the twelve most contaminated vegetables and the twelve least contaminated. I am now more comfortable buying conventionally grown avocados (number 2 on the least contaminated list) and put more emphesis on buying those grown in California. You'd be surprised how often I see a "grown in chile" sticker on a bumpy skinned Haas. On the other hand, there are certain things I will only buy organic mainly because they taste so much better and those things just happen to be on the Dirty Dozen list. For example the celery I buy is actually green with slender stalks that have flavor- a far cry from the pale green, overgrown stalks you find in the grocery store.
These are the ones you'll want to choose organic varieties of if at all possible:
1) Peaches
2) Apples
3) Sweet bell peppers
4) Celery
5) Nectarines
6) Strawberries
7) Cherries
8) Lettuce
9) Grapes (imported)
10) Pears
11) Spinach
12) Potatoes
And, when organic is not available or very cost prohibitive, these are the least likely to have pesticide residues:
1) Onions
2) Avocados
3) Sweet Corn ( frozen)
4) Pineapples
5) Mango
6) Sweet peas (frozen)
7) Asparagus
8) Kiwi
9) Bananas
10) Cabbage
11) Broccoli
12) Eggplant
You can download a wallet-sized version at FoodNews from Environmental Working Group.
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Road Back to Mexico City
We find ourselves back on the road leading out of Oaxaca and I again have some time to write. Traveling with a 9 month old gives me little down time, but it is a very rewarding vacation. She has been stimulated by new faces and languages and the Mexican people love children. This is a great place to travel with kids. She is napping in her car seat as we head back to Mexico City. It turns out the bus ride is one fifth the price of the flight and the trip to Oaxaca took 5 hours instead of the planned 6 1/2, and so we risked taking the bus and are hoping we have smooth travels once again.
We spent one week in the central southern town of Oaxaca. I say town because the city of 250,000 felt very small. With a compact city center and a population that congregated in the Zocalo nightly, Oaxaca was not only a journey in distance but also in time. I imagined that the activity of the Zocalo might have been what was experienced in our own pre-TV society’s small town squares. On any given night, Oaxacans come out of their houses to be entertained by street performers, to enjoy almost any genre of live music, to watch the tourists play with the long, tubular balloons that are sold there, or perhaps just to people watch as tourists and locals alike stroll around the perimeter of the Zocalo. Last night, our last night in Oaxaca, we went to Terranova Cafe for a taste of their crepes with cajeta and their chocolate caliente. Marissa had fallen in love with cajeta, which is caramelized goat’s milk and sugar. This topping is thinner, more syrupy than the caramel we often enjoy in the states and I have determined I will need to replicate this concoction at home. The hot chocolate was the perfect strength for our tastes and we are not worried about duplicating this at home because earlier in the week I had bought one half of a kilogram of ground up cacao mixed with cinnamon and sugar. That was the minimum amount the shop owner would sell and so we have enough Oaxacan chocolate to enjoy for a year. Well, knowing Lou, make that a month or two.
Last Saturday, we went to the main market, Central de Abastos. Marissa gave us the tour. The market consisted of everything from Nike shoes to handmade clothes to fresh and prepared foods. Here we captured our first glimpse of the ingredients of Oaxacan cuisine such as fresh and dried chilies, tomatillos, and cacao. The fresh produce was similar to what we see now in San Francisco with more abundance of certain things such as Chermoya and Nopales (cactus leaves). We got our first taste of the bright purple-pink Jamaica drink, which I am told is Hibiscus petals steeped in hot water, then cooled and sweetened to taste with simple syrup. It is something that should be easily duplicated at home and I have decided to either buy the dried Jamaica petals or find them at home. Marissa tells me they can be bought at health food stores. The drink was very refreshing and hydrating on that very hot day.
We had another market visit as part of a cooking class that Marissa and I took at Casa Las Sabores on Tuesday. Pilar Cabrera is a well known and respected cook in Oaxaca. She runs the bed and breakfast as well as a restaurant in the middle of town called La Olla, where we ate our first meal in Oaxaca last Friday. Pilar started the class going through a market list of ingredients we were to buy. Most of the ingredients were familiar, but their names were not. We had for the second time run into the Yerba Santa, also seen spelled Hierba Santa. It is a unique, large leafed herb that was like a mix between mint and basil, with a strong minty-licorice flavor. We made a rice pudding for our dessert that was topped with the flesh of tuna, the fruit of a cactus. The name suggested the thought and the color of the fruit supported that perhaps it was called tuna because of its similarity in looks to Ahi, with its scarlet hue. It tasted like kiwi fruit. I asked about the rice and where it came from, assuming it was from Asia. The teacher confirmed this, adding that Oaxaca doesn’t have enough water to grow rice. I wondered why we were making rice pudding, but didn’t want to press the issue. We also made what Pilar called a quick mole with few ingredients compared to the traditional moles. To make the mole, we basically made salsa from a combination of dried and fresh chilis and then thickened it with masa. The mole did not have as deep or rich of a flavor as a traditional mole, but it was repeatable and easily could be made at home, so I think it was an excellent choice for a cooking class for a bunch of Gringos. We also made a corn soup with squash blossoms. For us, squash blossoms are quite seasonal as is fresh corn, so this might be harder to reproduce as I am not sure I will be able to find squash blossoms when corn is being harvested. To make the soup, we cut kernels of corn from the cobs and blended them in a blender along with some chilies and chicken stock until they were liquefied. Then, we poured the mixture through a sieve to filter out the skins of the kernels. Pilar had a handy way of tapping the sieve to roll the solids off its floor and allow the liquid to pass through the mesh to the soup pot. She said it was how her grandmother did it. Blocks of raw sugar were added to the soup to sweeten it. I volunteered to stir the soup while I wondered if I could even find this type of corn in San Francisco. It was not the sweet corn we buy on the cob, it was a tender white corn filled with starch. In fact, our hands and cutting boards were covered with the dry white starch after we cut the kernels from the cobs. If I cannot find similar corn, I can perhaps try to duplicate the soup by using sweet corn and deleting or reducing the added sugar while adding a thickener such as corn starch to make up for the lack of natural thickener in the less starchy sweet corn. The most interesting part of the meal was the salsa we made from dried red chilies that were roasted then ground in a molcajete along with salt, roasted garlic, and if desired, worms. To this paste we added roasted tomatillos. It was good, classic salsa rioja and definitely something I’ll duplicate at home, without the worms.
As I mentioned earlier, we ate our first dinner in Oaxaca at La Olla. Lou and I each had a different type of mole- red and black. Moles are found at most every restaurant in Oaxaca and they were not of the characteristic black mole that you often find in the states. Every single mole we tasted over the course of the week was unique. I wouldn’t say I absolutely loved any one of them, but I also didn’t find a single one that I wouldn’t eat.
We spent one week in the central southern town of Oaxaca. I say town because the city of 250,000 felt very small. With a compact city center and a population that congregated in the Zocalo nightly, Oaxaca was not only a journey in distance but also in time. I imagined that the activity of the Zocalo might have been what was experienced in our own pre-TV society’s small town squares. On any given night, Oaxacans come out of their houses to be entertained by street performers, to enjoy almost any genre of live music, to watch the tourists play with the long, tubular balloons that are sold there, or perhaps just to people watch as tourists and locals alike stroll around the perimeter of the Zocalo. Last night, our last night in Oaxaca, we went to Terranova Cafe for a taste of their crepes with cajeta and their chocolate caliente. Marissa had fallen in love with cajeta, which is caramelized goat’s milk and sugar. This topping is thinner, more syrupy than the caramel we often enjoy in the states and I have determined I will need to replicate this concoction at home. The hot chocolate was the perfect strength for our tastes and we are not worried about duplicating this at home because earlier in the week I had bought one half of a kilogram of ground up cacao mixed with cinnamon and sugar. That was the minimum amount the shop owner would sell and so we have enough Oaxacan chocolate to enjoy for a year. Well, knowing Lou, make that a month or two.
Last Saturday, we went to the main market, Central de Abastos. Marissa gave us the tour. The market consisted of everything from Nike shoes to handmade clothes to fresh and prepared foods. Here we captured our first glimpse of the ingredients of Oaxacan cuisine such as fresh and dried chilies, tomatillos, and cacao. The fresh produce was similar to what we see now in San Francisco with more abundance of certain things such as Chermoya and Nopales (cactus leaves). We got our first taste of the bright purple-pink Jamaica drink, which I am told is Hibiscus petals steeped in hot water, then cooled and sweetened to taste with simple syrup. It is something that should be easily duplicated at home and I have decided to either buy the dried Jamaica petals or find them at home. Marissa tells me they can be bought at health food stores. The drink was very refreshing and hydrating on that very hot day.
We had another market visit as part of a cooking class that Marissa and I took at Casa Las Sabores on Tuesday. Pilar Cabrera is a well known and respected cook in Oaxaca. She runs the bed and breakfast as well as a restaurant in the middle of town called La Olla, where we ate our first meal in Oaxaca last Friday. Pilar started the class going through a market list of ingredients we were to buy. Most of the ingredients were familiar, but their names were not. We had for the second time run into the Yerba Santa, also seen spelled Hierba Santa. It is a unique, large leafed herb that was like a mix between mint and basil, with a strong minty-licorice flavor. We made a rice pudding for our dessert that was topped with the flesh of tuna, the fruit of a cactus. The name suggested the thought and the color of the fruit supported that perhaps it was called tuna because of its similarity in looks to Ahi, with its scarlet hue. It tasted like kiwi fruit. I asked about the rice and where it came from, assuming it was from Asia. The teacher confirmed this, adding that Oaxaca doesn’t have enough water to grow rice. I wondered why we were making rice pudding, but didn’t want to press the issue. We also made what Pilar called a quick mole with few ingredients compared to the traditional moles. To make the mole, we basically made salsa from a combination of dried and fresh chilis and then thickened it with masa. The mole did not have as deep or rich of a flavor as a traditional mole, but it was repeatable and easily could be made at home, so I think it was an excellent choice for a cooking class for a bunch of Gringos. We also made a corn soup with squash blossoms. For us, squash blossoms are quite seasonal as is fresh corn, so this might be harder to reproduce as I am not sure I will be able to find squash blossoms when corn is being harvested. To make the soup, we cut kernels of corn from the cobs and blended them in a blender along with some chilies and chicken stock until they were liquefied. Then, we poured the mixture through a sieve to filter out the skins of the kernels. Pilar had a handy way of tapping the sieve to roll the solids off its floor and allow the liquid to pass through the mesh to the soup pot. She said it was how her grandmother did it. Blocks of raw sugar were added to the soup to sweeten it. I volunteered to stir the soup while I wondered if I could even find this type of corn in San Francisco. It was not the sweet corn we buy on the cob, it was a tender white corn filled with starch. In fact, our hands and cutting boards were covered with the dry white starch after we cut the kernels from the cobs. If I cannot find similar corn, I can perhaps try to duplicate the soup by using sweet corn and deleting or reducing the added sugar while adding a thickener such as corn starch to make up for the lack of natural thickener in the less starchy sweet corn. The most interesting part of the meal was the salsa we made from dried red chilies that were roasted then ground in a molcajete along with salt, roasted garlic, and if desired, worms. To this paste we added roasted tomatillos. It was good, classic salsa rioja and definitely something I’ll duplicate at home, without the worms.
As I mentioned earlier, we ate our first dinner in Oaxaca at La Olla. Lou and I each had a different type of mole- red and black. Moles are found at most every restaurant in Oaxaca and they were not of the characteristic black mole that you often find in the states. Every single mole we tasted over the course of the week was unique. I wouldn’t say I absolutely loved any one of them, but I also didn’t find a single one that I wouldn’t eat.
Fresh Fruit Stand (above) and dried beans (below) at the Central de Abastos market.
Red and Black Mole pastes. Kind of like Mexican Hamburger Helper.
Friday, March 21, 2008
On the Road to Oaxaca
There is a field of Sonoran cacti outside my window. Some of the Saguaros are as large as trees with multiple arms branching out and reaching for the sky. Some are just tall poles standing alone in the desert. We are on our way to Oaxaca – a 6 ½ hour drive from Mexico City. We’re 3 ½ hours into it and have decided we should check into flights for our return as the road to Oaxaca is long and monotonous. Little resides between these two cities save some makeshift cafes and a couple of churches, which by the way are packed on this Good Friday. Mexicans are passionate about Semana Santa, or Holy Week and on this Good Friday, reenactments of Christ’s crucifixion take place across the country.
We landed 3 days ago in Mexico City, on the Tuesday afternoon of Semana Santa. As the days passed, the crowded city became even more congested as Mexican families flocked to their capital for what is Mexico’s most celebrated holiday. We had read that it would be a busy time to travel, but we decided that the rewards of being in Mexico during Easter Sunday would outweigh the inconveniences. I have yet to determine that, but the crowds are a spectacle in themselves. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I imagine it may be like Mecca, Saudi Arabia when Muslims of the world flock there for Ramadan. The Zocala in Mexico City, which is the city’s central square, is flanked by such sights as the Catedral Metropolitana and Palacio Nacional, and was a temporary home to a nomadic museum housing an exhibit named “Ashes and Snow”. The line for this exhibit was 5 to 6 people deep and stretched around the massive temporary structure. The Mexican people must be very patient, because the wait had to be hours. The congestion of Mexico City reminded me of Hong Kong and Shanghai, places where you just get used to waiting in line. There was a bustle of people at certain peek times, one of those being 7:00 in the evening, which is when we would venture out for a bite to eat. Last night, on Holy Thursday, or Maunday Thursday, the sidewalks in the Central Historico district were so packed, one could only move at a snails pace. We inched our way to the café lined pedestrian-only streets. With a 9 month old in tow, we no longer were seeking out an atmospheric bar, but instead a nice quiet café where we could relax with beers and a light meal. Not finding any “light” Mexican food, we ended up at a sushi joint where we ordered two rolls that were stuffed with far too much cheese and not enough fish, and soggy Udon noodles in a dark, over flavored broth. It was supposed to be shrimp tempura, unfortunately, they missed the mark a bit with shrimp that was covered in a heavy, overcooked batter. It was a disappointing meal compared to the one we had the night before in Condessa. Condessa, in contrast to the Central Historico, is a peaceful, relaxing neighborhood made up of picturesque tree lined avenues. When we stepped out of the subway stop, we felt like we were transported to an entirely different city. Trendy bars and cafes abound there and we had a hard time choosing where to eat. We decided to follow the crowd and scored a table at a bustling little open-aired eatery called the Village Café. I chose enchiladas verde and Lou had their soup of the day which was outstanding and a salad that was less so. With their delicious house vino tinto or red wine, a quaint atmosphere, and excellent service we were more than satisfied to spend our time there.
Our guide book took us to an upscale restaurant on our first night. Los Girasoles at 84 Tacuba “specializes in alta cocina Mexicana”, according to Lonely Planet, Mexico. The food was excellent and inventive. To me the food seemed like a fusion of French and Mexican: French in technique and Mexican in flavor. We were far from the ocean, but we both had fish that was perfectly seared and fresh- as if we had an ocean view. It was a great way to start a culinary tour.
We landed 3 days ago in Mexico City, on the Tuesday afternoon of Semana Santa. As the days passed, the crowded city became even more congested as Mexican families flocked to their capital for what is Mexico’s most celebrated holiday. We had read that it would be a busy time to travel, but we decided that the rewards of being in Mexico during Easter Sunday would outweigh the inconveniences. I have yet to determine that, but the crowds are a spectacle in themselves. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. I imagine it may be like Mecca, Saudi Arabia when Muslims of the world flock there for Ramadan. The Zocala in Mexico City, which is the city’s central square, is flanked by such sights as the Catedral Metropolitana and Palacio Nacional, and was a temporary home to a nomadic museum housing an exhibit named “Ashes and Snow”. The line for this exhibit was 5 to 6 people deep and stretched around the massive temporary structure. The Mexican people must be very patient, because the wait had to be hours. The congestion of Mexico City reminded me of Hong Kong and Shanghai, places where you just get used to waiting in line. There was a bustle of people at certain peek times, one of those being 7:00 in the evening, which is when we would venture out for a bite to eat. Last night, on Holy Thursday, or Maunday Thursday, the sidewalks in the Central Historico district were so packed, one could only move at a snails pace. We inched our way to the café lined pedestrian-only streets. With a 9 month old in tow, we no longer were seeking out an atmospheric bar, but instead a nice quiet café where we could relax with beers and a light meal. Not finding any “light” Mexican food, we ended up at a sushi joint where we ordered two rolls that were stuffed with far too much cheese and not enough fish, and soggy Udon noodles in a dark, over flavored broth. It was supposed to be shrimp tempura, unfortunately, they missed the mark a bit with shrimp that was covered in a heavy, overcooked batter. It was a disappointing meal compared to the one we had the night before in Condessa. Condessa, in contrast to the Central Historico, is a peaceful, relaxing neighborhood made up of picturesque tree lined avenues. When we stepped out of the subway stop, we felt like we were transported to an entirely different city. Trendy bars and cafes abound there and we had a hard time choosing where to eat. We decided to follow the crowd and scored a table at a bustling little open-aired eatery called the Village Café. I chose enchiladas verde and Lou had their soup of the day which was outstanding and a salad that was less so. With their delicious house vino tinto or red wine, a quaint atmosphere, and excellent service we were more than satisfied to spend our time there.
Our guide book took us to an upscale restaurant on our first night. Los Girasoles at 84 Tacuba “specializes in alta cocina Mexicana”, according to Lonely Planet, Mexico. The food was excellent and inventive. To me the food seemed like a fusion of French and Mexican: French in technique and Mexican in flavor. We were far from the ocean, but we both had fish that was perfectly seared and fresh- as if we had an ocean view. It was a great way to start a culinary tour.
The Crowds in and around the Zocalo on Holy Thursday.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Chocolate Snob
For a Christmas stocking stuffer, I bought Lou a pack of 10 bars of dark chocolate. Each bar was from a different growing region. We finnally broke them out a couple of weeks ago and we became chocolate snobs over night. After tasting the chocolate from Peru and the Dominican Republic, which were determined to be the favorites, the bars from Venezuela and Sao Tome seemed bitter and grainy while Grenada was just average- a good everyday chocolate. One day earlier, we wouild have gobbled any of these up without hesitation. We so enjoyed the chocolate tasting, (although, admittedly, I was a bit chocoloated out) that on my last trip to Trader Joe's I intended to buy another pack and one to spare for our friend, Marissa, who we will be visiting soon in Oaxaca and is in need of some good dark chocolate. Unfortunately, the specialy packaged chocolate bars were only available for the holidays so we were out of luck. (Don't worry, Marissa, I bought some other chocolate for you!) If Trader Joe's brings the chocolate back next Christmas, I will be sure to stock up, but in the meantime, I look forward to seeking out and tasting some more regionally grown cacao and filling my new chocolate-snob boots.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Food Prices
There was much talk today in the news about the worldwide wheat shortage that has caused an increase in the price of commodity wheat, resulting in a higher price on flour and therefore a higher price on all things made with flour: bread, pasta, pizza, crackers, cakes, bagels, and donuts, just to name a few. Weather was to blame for much of the worldwide shortage and further reducing supplies, US farmers replaced wheat fields with ethanol producing corn.
It is interesting to me that the hype surrounding ethanol, also largely fueled (pun intended) by the high price of gasoline, has resulted in increasing prices of food. Corn was originally commoditized and government subsidized to prevent this very thing. Corn, which before the ethanol boon had become cheap, found its way into possibly every processed food in the form of sweeteners, thickeners, fats, and fillers, creating a surplus of high calorie, convenient cheap food and an overweight population. Perhaps food that is too cheap is not a good thing either...
It is interesting to me that the hype surrounding ethanol, also largely fueled (pun intended) by the high price of gasoline, has resulted in increasing prices of food. Corn was originally commoditized and government subsidized to prevent this very thing. Corn, which before the ethanol boon had become cheap, found its way into possibly every processed food in the form of sweeteners, thickeners, fats, and fillers, creating a surplus of high calorie, convenient cheap food and an overweight population. Perhaps food that is too cheap is not a good thing either...
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes
No, I don't watch the Martha Stewart show everyday, but once in a while, I'll have it on in the background. I just happened to catch it Tuesday, when Candace Nelson of Sprinkles' Cupcakes shared her recipe for Strawberry Cupcakes. I made these on Valentine's Day and these were the BEST strawberry cupcakes I have ever eaten. Both the cake batter and the frosting are made with a fresh strawberry puree-just enough for a delicate strawberry taste. The cupcakes were moist and slightly dense and the frosting was sweet, light, and creamy. A perfect balance. They were beautiful too. These pink treats would make a great treat for a little girl's birthday party.
Although the frosting is amazing, I cut the recipe in half for the 12 cupcakes. I thought it would make too much for our taste and I was right- half ended up being plenty. These were so good that I think next time, instead of cutting the frosting in half, I will double the cupcake recipe. I hope you find time to try them!
Although the frosting is amazing, I cut the recipe in half for the 12 cupcakes. I thought it would make too much for our taste and I was right- half ended up being plenty. These were so good that I think next time, instead of cutting the frosting in half, I will double the cupcake recipe. I hope you find time to try them!
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Happy Mardi Gras!
Today is Mardi Gras! It kind of snuck up on us this year since we are having an early Easter. Mardi Gras is the day before Ash Wednesday, thus it is 41 days prior to Easter. Mardi Gras literally means Fat Tuesday in French. The idea is you eat and drink to your heart's content on the last day before lent begins when it is the tradition to give up something you can't normally live without. The 40 days of lent are an acknowledgement of Jesus' 40 day fast in the desert. Whether they recognize lent or not, it seems everyone likes to celebrate Mardi Gras.
I have no new recipe for you, but will point you toward an old posting from February, 2006 for King Cake. I'm about to make one myself. Indulge a little and have a happy Fat Tuesday!
I have no new recipe for you, but will point you toward an old posting from February, 2006 for King Cake. I'm about to make one myself. Indulge a little and have a happy Fat Tuesday!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Cheese Fondue
The holidays are behind us and I never thought I'd say it but I am tired of sweets. Today, I had a hankering for something more savory and seasonal. Something I would want to eat while curled up in front of a fire in a Tahoe ski cabin. My thoughts turned to last year's ski trip to Chamonix and all that stinky cheese fondue! Chamonix had record low snow fall last year, and so the hightlights of the trip were not skiing down the steep slopes, but instead eating and drinking and enjoying the low elevation of the valley. Even with snow, that would likely be the highlight for me. With German Brick in my arsenal, and a fresh baguette ready to be dipped into a gooey concoction, I set out to make a fondue that might rival that which we devoured in a Chamonix restaurant so many months ago.
There's something about the taste of stinky cheese. It has so much depth, so many layers. As I added the grated cheese to the simmering wine, the flavors seemed to be unlocked in the pot, and the luscious, smooth, earthy smells of the cheese coupled with the acidic and citrus smells of the chardonnay brought me right back to Chamonix. I knew I was on track. We dipped cubed pieces of crusty baguette deep into the finished fondue twisting them on the end of a fork so as to coat each bit of surface area with the liquid cheese. As we continued to devour the cheese-coated bread, we reminisced about our ski trip wishing we were there, not on the slopes, but in the village, eating fondue.
Cheese Fondue
8 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
8 ounces Aged German Brick, grated
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 clove garlic, halved
1 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tablespoons brandy or dry sherry
French bread cut into cubes for dipping
Using a box grater, grate the cheese onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons of flour on top of the cheese and toss with the cheese to coat.
Rub the halved garlic on the bottom and sides of a medium saucepan or fondue pot. Discard the garlic. Add the wine and heat until simmering. Stir in lemon juice. Stir in the cheese mixture, a handful at a time, allowing the cheese to melt before each addition. Stir in the brandy or dry sherry.
Keep the fondue warm over low heat or pour into a fondue pot kept warm. If the fondue becomes too cool and stiffens, reheat over medium-low heat stirring constantly. Leftover fondue can be saved. Just reheat fondue over medium-low heat. If the fondue separates and becomes oily and chunky, add a small amount of milk and continue to stir, adding more milk if needed, until the fondue is creamy.
There's something about the taste of stinky cheese. It has so much depth, so many layers. As I added the grated cheese to the simmering wine, the flavors seemed to be unlocked in the pot, and the luscious, smooth, earthy smells of the cheese coupled with the acidic and citrus smells of the chardonnay brought me right back to Chamonix. I knew I was on track. We dipped cubed pieces of crusty baguette deep into the finished fondue twisting them on the end of a fork so as to coat each bit of surface area with the liquid cheese. As we continued to devour the cheese-coated bread, we reminisced about our ski trip wishing we were there, not on the slopes, but in the village, eating fondue.
Cheese Fondue
8 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
8 ounces Aged German Brick, grated
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 clove garlic, halved
1 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tablespoons brandy or dry sherry
French bread cut into cubes for dipping
Using a box grater, grate the cheese onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Sprinkle the 2 Tablespoons of flour on top of the cheese and toss with the cheese to coat.
Rub the halved garlic on the bottom and sides of a medium saucepan or fondue pot. Discard the garlic. Add the wine and heat until simmering. Stir in lemon juice. Stir in the cheese mixture, a handful at a time, allowing the cheese to melt before each addition. Stir in the brandy or dry sherry.
Keep the fondue warm over low heat or pour into a fondue pot kept warm. If the fondue becomes too cool and stiffens, reheat over medium-low heat stirring constantly. Leftover fondue can be saved. Just reheat fondue over medium-low heat. If the fondue separates and becomes oily and chunky, add a small amount of milk and continue to stir, adding more milk if needed, until the fondue is creamy.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Cranberry Apple Pie
As Thanksgiving approaches, my thoughts veer towards turkeys, pumpkins and of course, cranberries. Cranberries belong on the thanksgiving table. They are native to North America and were introduced to European settlers by the Indians. The Indians ate the "crane-berry", which supplied them with vitamin C and used the dark red berry for dye. They called them crane berries because the blossom and vine looks like the neck of a sand hill crane.
Unfortunately, cranberries often grace the thanksgiving table in the form of a tin can, ripples and all, plopped out onto a serving dish. I think this jellied sauce does an injustice to the pungent berry and is the cause of their under-appreciation. I have a favorite cranberry sauce that I make every year that is nothing like the canned jelly. The cranberries are cooked in ruby port, which produces a savory sauce, and uses dried figs for texture and sweetness. It goes wonderfully with turkey, stuffing, and even pork. Still, no one tries it without prompting, and when they do partake, it's a very small spoonful. Then the usual response is, this is cranberry sauce?
I completely understand the aversion to cranberries, although we never had canned cranberry sauce... Growing up in central Wisconsin, much of my extended family and neighbors were cranberry farmers. Since we usually received gifts of berries at harvest time, Cranberries were on our table year round, not just for the holidays. The jar of sauce would be poured into one of my mom's crystal serving dishes and most of it minus a couple of spoonfuls would return to the jar after each meal. When I went to a friend's house for dinner whose family lived on a cranberry marsh, my mom would tell me that I should be polite and eat the cranberries if they served them at the table. It was a lot to ask of a 7 year old. Strong, pungent, and sour, these sauces were straight cranberries with a little sugar. Then Ocean Spray started marketing Cranberry juice blends and the prices of cranberries went up and more and more cranberry bogs appeared around the neighborhood. Today, my parents' farm is an island in a sea of cranberry bogs. All because someone figured out that cranberries taste best when blended with other fruits.
My mom and dad still get crates of cranberries from relatives and neighbors, so when my sister came to visit a few weeks ago, my mom sent along a gallon size bag of cranberries, freshly picked from the neighbor's marsh! I plan on making the above mentioned sauce for Thanksgiving and possibly a very small batch of the more classic sauce for the purists. With the rest of the berries, I am taking free reign to mix them as I please with other fruits, blend them into breads, and make some sweets, like this cranberry apple pie...
This pie is sweet, yet tart and is the perfect companion to vanilla ice cream.
Cranberry Apple Pie
Double pie crust for a 9 inch pie (Click here for my butter crust recipe)
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 medium baking apples cored and sliced (about 3 cups)
2 cups whole fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries, thawed
2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Mix togther the sugar, flour and cinnamon.
Into a 9 inch pie pan filled with the bottom half of a pie crust spread one cup of sliced apple, then cover with the sugar and flour mixture. Layer one cup of cranberries again covering with the sugar and floud mixture. Repeat layers ending with the apple slices. Dot the top of the filling with the butter then top with the pie crust. Seal the edges of the crust, flute and cut slits in the top to allow the steam to vent.
Place the pie on a cookie sheet so the filling doesn't spill onto your oven floor, then place in a 425 degree oven. After 15 minutes of baking, place a pie ring on the fluted edges or cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil to prevent from over browning. Set the timer for an additional 25 minutes. The pie is done when the top crust is lightly browned and the filling starts to bubble through the slits in the crust.
Unfortunately, cranberries often grace the thanksgiving table in the form of a tin can, ripples and all, plopped out onto a serving dish. I think this jellied sauce does an injustice to the pungent berry and is the cause of their under-appreciation. I have a favorite cranberry sauce that I make every year that is nothing like the canned jelly. The cranberries are cooked in ruby port, which produces a savory sauce, and uses dried figs for texture and sweetness. It goes wonderfully with turkey, stuffing, and even pork. Still, no one tries it without prompting, and when they do partake, it's a very small spoonful. Then the usual response is, this is cranberry sauce?
I completely understand the aversion to cranberries, although we never had canned cranberry sauce... Growing up in central Wisconsin, much of my extended family and neighbors were cranberry farmers. Since we usually received gifts of berries at harvest time, Cranberries were on our table year round, not just for the holidays. The jar of sauce would be poured into one of my mom's crystal serving dishes and most of it minus a couple of spoonfuls would return to the jar after each meal. When I went to a friend's house for dinner whose family lived on a cranberry marsh, my mom would tell me that I should be polite and eat the cranberries if they served them at the table. It was a lot to ask of a 7 year old. Strong, pungent, and sour, these sauces were straight cranberries with a little sugar. Then Ocean Spray started marketing Cranberry juice blends and the prices of cranberries went up and more and more cranberry bogs appeared around the neighborhood. Today, my parents' farm is an island in a sea of cranberry bogs. All because someone figured out that cranberries taste best when blended with other fruits.
My mom and dad still get crates of cranberries from relatives and neighbors, so when my sister came to visit a few weeks ago, my mom sent along a gallon size bag of cranberries, freshly picked from the neighbor's marsh! I plan on making the above mentioned sauce for Thanksgiving and possibly a very small batch of the more classic sauce for the purists. With the rest of the berries, I am taking free reign to mix them as I please with other fruits, blend them into breads, and make some sweets, like this cranberry apple pie...
This pie is sweet, yet tart and is the perfect companion to vanilla ice cream.
Cranberry Apple Pie
Double pie crust for a 9 inch pie (Click here for my butter crust recipe)
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 medium baking apples cored and sliced (about 3 cups)
2 cups whole fresh cranberries or frozen cranberries, thawed
2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Mix togther the sugar, flour and cinnamon.
Into a 9 inch pie pan filled with the bottom half of a pie crust spread one cup of sliced apple, then cover with the sugar and flour mixture. Layer one cup of cranberries again covering with the sugar and floud mixture. Repeat layers ending with the apple slices. Dot the top of the filling with the butter then top with the pie crust. Seal the edges of the crust, flute and cut slits in the top to allow the steam to vent.
Place the pie on a cookie sheet so the filling doesn't spill onto your oven floor, then place in a 425 degree oven. After 15 minutes of baking, place a pie ring on the fluted edges or cover the edges with strips of aluminum foil to prevent from over browning. Set the timer for an additional 25 minutes. The pie is done when the top crust is lightly browned and the filling starts to bubble through the slits in the crust.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Halloween Sweet Treats: Peanut Butter Eyeballs
I married into a family of Buckeyes, the Ohio State kind. As a Wisconsin Badger, I've taken a lot of crap through the years as the Buckeyes climbed to the top of the sports rankings. In anticpation of the two teams meeting on the field or on the court, my father-in-law without fail tells me he's going to have "badger stew". So when I ran across the recipe for Peanut Butter Buckeyes a few years ago, I couldn't resist making them for a chance to devour their mascot.
When I was trying to come up with some scary homemade candy ideas for Halloween, the recipe for the peanut butter buckeyes seemed to be the perfect starting point for making eyeballs. The buckeyes are a sweetened peanut butter filling rolled into balls, then partially covered in semi-sweet chocolate. For the eyeballs, I painted an iris on the peanut butter filling and replaced the chocolate with white chocolate for the whites of the eye, then added a chocolate chip for the pupil. The plain white seemed a bit bare, so I painted on some blood vessels with red food coloring. Not bad for a little experimentation.
Next time I think I will try using mini chocolate chips - I think they would make more realistic pupils and would be easier to press into the cold peanut butter filling.
Peanut Butter Eyeballs
Filling:
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cups smooth peanut butter (preferably all natural, containing no hydrogenated oils)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt (or 1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt)
Coating:
6 ounces white chocolate, broken into pieces
Melt the chocolate in a small bowl set over a small pot of simmering water. Remove from heat.
To dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate, stick a toothpick into the center of the iris, then swirl into the chocolate, leaving the iris visible. Allow the chocolate to set. Remove the toothpick and place a mini chocolate chip in the center of the iris, covering the hole left by the toothpick. To make them extra ghoulish, paint red blood vessels on the whites of the eyes using the paint brush with red food coloring.
Happy Halloween!
When I was trying to come up with some scary homemade candy ideas for Halloween, the recipe for the peanut butter buckeyes seemed to be the perfect starting point for making eyeballs. The buckeyes are a sweetened peanut butter filling rolled into balls, then partially covered in semi-sweet chocolate. For the eyeballs, I painted an iris on the peanut butter filling and replaced the chocolate with white chocolate for the whites of the eye, then added a chocolate chip for the pupil. The plain white seemed a bit bare, so I painted on some blood vessels with red food coloring. Not bad for a little experimentation.
Next time I think I will try using mini chocolate chips - I think they would make more realistic pupils and would be easier to press into the cold peanut butter filling.Peanut Butter Eyeballs
Filling:
2 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cups smooth peanut butter (preferably all natural, containing no hydrogenated oils)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt (or 1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt)
Coating:
6 ounces white chocolate, broken into pieces
Decorations:
Food coloring, a small clean paint brush, mini chocolate chips
Melt the chocolate in a small bowl set over a small pot of simmering water. Remove from heat.
To dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate, stick a toothpick into the center of the iris, then swirl into the chocolate, leaving the iris visible. Allow the chocolate to set. Remove the toothpick and place a mini chocolate chip in the center of the iris, covering the hole left by the toothpick. To make them extra ghoulish, paint red blood vessels on the whites of the eyes using the paint brush with red food coloring.
Happy Halloween!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Recipes for Homemade Halloween Treats: Mint Meltaways
Halloween is fast approaching, and I have been working on improving some old recipes for homemade Halloween treats. I never buy packaged cookies. Almost every label of a packaged cookie indicates that they contain partially, or now fully hydrogenated vegetable oils. They have to- the hydrogenation keeps them from spoiling on the shelf. But even before the evils of trans fats were realized, I rarely ate a cookie from a package. I stick to the mentality that they are too easy to access if you buy them- you must want them badly enough to go through the trouble of making them from scratch- that's right, no mixes either. Having said that, I am going to contradict this ideal by using packaged cookies in the recipe- a sleeve of graham crackers is in the bottom crust. To make them completely trans fat free, you could either make your own graham crackers or, you could buy trans fat free crackers from Trader Joes or a trustworthy natural food store, double checking the ingredients for partially hydrogenated oils. Unfortunately, hydrogenated fats could be lurking in the ingredients without specifically being listed...
On a recent trip to Safeway, I found that their "honey Graham crackers" indicate they have "0g Trans Fat Per Serving" right on the front of the box. Well we all know that doesn't mean they used no trans fats, there is just less than half a gram per serving. I checked the side of the box for the ingredients and found "interesterified" oil. Wondering what in the heck that was, I brought the box home to investigate. Turns out "interesterified oil" is fully hydrogenated oil mixed with un-hydrogenated oil and no that does not make it partially hydrogenated and so technically there are no trans fats. It still sounds unhealthy to me. Perhaps my best option would be to recreate the crust from scratch, but for now I will publish the recipe using the graham crackers. It is only a trace amount of hydrogenated oil and these are really good!
Mint Meltaways are a triple layer dark chocolate and mint bar cookie that my mom used to make every year for the St. Patrick's day bake sale at my grade school. They were appropriate for that occasion because the middle layer is a bright green. It happens to also be the spooky green of a witches face, which is why I like them for a Halloween spread. The peppermint makes them an easy choice for a fast Christmas treat or for a Holiday cookie swap, so if you don't get around to making them for Halloween, you've got two other Holidays these will be appropriate for.
I was tempted to try bittersweet chocolate for the topping, but it just isn't as good. The bitterness of the unsweetened chocolate contrasts with the sugary sweetness of the mint frosting. Also, an easy way to make graham cracker crumbs without getting a food processor dirty is to place them in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin or heavy glass to crush them into crumbs.
Mint Meltaways
Crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup sugar
Dash of salt
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sweetened coconut (I used Angel Flake)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
2 cups confectioners' sugar
pinch of salt
Green food coloring
Glaze
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To make the crust, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat in a medium saucepan. Stir in sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla. Add the cracker crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Mix well and press into a prepared 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature and then place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
For the frosting, beat all ingredients until smooth, adding the food coloring until it is the green of a witches face. Spread over the cooled crust and then refrigerate until the frosting has set.
Melt the unsweetened chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and immediately pour over the cooled layer of frosting, spreading to cover the bars with a thin coat of chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set and cut into squares.
On a recent trip to Safeway, I found that their "honey Graham crackers" indicate they have "0g Trans Fat Per Serving" right on the front of the box. Well we all know that doesn't mean they used no trans fats, there is just less than half a gram per serving. I checked the side of the box for the ingredients and found "interesterified" oil. Wondering what in the heck that was, I brought the box home to investigate. Turns out "interesterified oil" is fully hydrogenated oil mixed with un-hydrogenated oil and no that does not make it partially hydrogenated and so technically there are no trans fats. It still sounds unhealthy to me. Perhaps my best option would be to recreate the crust from scratch, but for now I will publish the recipe using the graham crackers. It is only a trace amount of hydrogenated oil and these are really good!
Mint Meltaways are a triple layer dark chocolate and mint bar cookie that my mom used to make every year for the St. Patrick's day bake sale at my grade school. They were appropriate for that occasion because the middle layer is a bright green. It happens to also be the spooky green of a witches face, which is why I like them for a Halloween spread. The peppermint makes them an easy choice for a fast Christmas treat or for a Holiday cookie swap, so if you don't get around to making them for Halloween, you've got two other Holidays these will be appropriate for.
I was tempted to try bittersweet chocolate for the topping, but it just isn't as good. The bitterness of the unsweetened chocolate contrasts with the sugary sweetness of the mint frosting. Also, an easy way to make graham cracker crumbs without getting a food processor dirty is to place them in a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin or heavy glass to crush them into crumbs.
Mint Meltaways
Crust
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup sugar
Dash of salt
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sweetened coconut (I used Angel Flake)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
2 cups confectioners' sugar
pinch of salt
Green food coloring
Glaze
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To make the crust, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat in a medium saucepan. Stir in sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla. Add the cracker crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Mix well and press into a prepared 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature and then place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
For the frosting, beat all ingredients until smooth, adding the food coloring until it is the green of a witches face. Spread over the cooled crust and then refrigerate until the frosting has set.
Melt the unsweetened chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and immediately pour over the cooled layer of frosting, spreading to cover the bars with a thin coat of chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set and cut into squares.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Recipe: Easy Lasagna
There is nothing like Lasagna to feed a crowd or to have on hand for out of town visitors, especially when the visitors are your sister and her two teenage sons. When my sister, Marcy, visited in March I made two lasagnas- one sausage and one spinach. In response to her request for the recipe, I promised to blog about it. At the time, I was 6 months pregnant, so I hope she doesn’t mind that I am writing this almost 7 months later-I’ve been a little busy.
Basic lasagna, as we know it, usually includes noodles, a tomato sauce, and a Bechamel sauce. Bechamel is also known as white sauce, and it consists of butter, flour, milk, and salt. This is an “easy” recipe for Lasagna that instead uses eggs mixed with cheeses. Fresh homemade lasagna noodles would be the ultimate choice for any lasagna, but since this is an easy version of the classic, store bought noodles will do just fine. I particularly like Barilla’s “oven ready Lasagne”.
These perfectly flat noodles are extra thin and unlike those with the squiggly edges, are more like homemade. The very best part is you do not need to boil them first. They come in a smaller box, so do a double check at the store to make sure you’re buying the right ones. (The last time Lou was sent to the store to pick up noodles, he came home with Barilla’s other lasagne noodles, which require boiling before assembling.)
Lasagna
One package lasagne noodles, cooked as directed on package if required.
Tomato Sauce:
Olive Oil for sautéing
1 yellow onion, diced
4 to 6 (depending on size) crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Cheese Sauce:
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt or 2 teaspoons Diamond kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (black pepper works too)
1 15-ounce carton ricotta cheese
½ pound mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Extra grated parmesan cheese for the top.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and coat the sides and bottom of a large baking dish with olive oil.
Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion and mushrooms and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for about a minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried oregano, and basil. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, breaking tomatoes up.
While the tomato sauce is simmering, beat the eggs in a medium sized bowl. Add the sour cream or yogurt, salt, pepper, and ricotta and stir until blended. Then stir in the grated mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
To assemble, first spoon some of the tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Then layer the noodles, followed by the cheese sauce and then tomato sauce. Repeat layers ending with tomato sauce and top with additional grated parmesan cheese. If using the oven ready noodles, you’ll have 4 layers, each consisting of 4 sheets of pasta, alternating the direction of the noodles with each layer. They may overlap slightly and will spread out to fill in the gaps when baking. If using boiled pasta with the squiggly edges, you’ll have 3 layers, each consisting of 3 noodles, all layed out the long way.
Variations
Italian Sausage Lasagna:
Add one pound cooked and crumbled Italian sausage on top of each cheese layer. We like the spice of hot Italian sausage.
Spinach Lasagna:
Blanche ½ pound fresh spinach in salted water. Drain well and chop. Add to the cheese sauce mixture along with a couple pinches of ground nutmeg.
This is a very satisfying meal to have waiting for you in the fridge, but the best place for it might actually be the freezer. You’ll have an arsenal at the ready when you unexpectedly do not have time to cook for yourself or to give to a friend or family member who is in need of some home-cooking. You can freeze an uncooked, assembled lasagna or you can fully cook the lasagna first, allow to cool, then cover tightly and freeze whole or in smaller portions.
Basic lasagna, as we know it, usually includes noodles, a tomato sauce, and a Bechamel sauce. Bechamel is also known as white sauce, and it consists of butter, flour, milk, and salt. This is an “easy” recipe for Lasagna that instead uses eggs mixed with cheeses. Fresh homemade lasagna noodles would be the ultimate choice for any lasagna, but since this is an easy version of the classic, store bought noodles will do just fine. I particularly like Barilla’s “oven ready Lasagne”.
These perfectly flat noodles are extra thin and unlike those with the squiggly edges, are more like homemade. The very best part is you do not need to boil them first. They come in a smaller box, so do a double check at the store to make sure you’re buying the right ones. (The last time Lou was sent to the store to pick up noodles, he came home with Barilla’s other lasagne noodles, which require boiling before assembling.)
Lasagna
One package lasagne noodles, cooked as directed on package if required.
Tomato Sauce:
Olive Oil for sautéing
1 yellow onion, diced
4 to 6 (depending on size) crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Cheese Sauce:
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt or 2 teaspoons Diamond kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (black pepper works too)
1 15-ounce carton ricotta cheese
½ pound mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Extra grated parmesan cheese for the top.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and coat the sides and bottom of a large baking dish with olive oil.
Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion and mushrooms and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for about a minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried oregano, and basil. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, breaking tomatoes up.
While the tomato sauce is simmering, beat the eggs in a medium sized bowl. Add the sour cream or yogurt, salt, pepper, and ricotta and stir until blended. Then stir in the grated mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
To assemble, first spoon some of the tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Then layer the noodles, followed by the cheese sauce and then tomato sauce. Repeat layers ending with tomato sauce and top with additional grated parmesan cheese. If using the oven ready noodles, you’ll have 4 layers, each consisting of 4 sheets of pasta, alternating the direction of the noodles with each layer. They may overlap slightly and will spread out to fill in the gaps when baking. If using boiled pasta with the squiggly edges, you’ll have 3 layers, each consisting of 3 noodles, all layed out the long way.
Variations
Italian Sausage Lasagna:
Add one pound cooked and crumbled Italian sausage on top of each cheese layer. We like the spice of hot Italian sausage.
Spinach Lasagna:
Blanche ½ pound fresh spinach in salted water. Drain well and chop. Add to the cheese sauce mixture along with a couple pinches of ground nutmeg.
This is a very satisfying meal to have waiting for you in the fridge, but the best place for it might actually be the freezer. You’ll have an arsenal at the ready when you unexpectedly do not have time to cook for yourself or to give to a friend or family member who is in need of some home-cooking. You can freeze an uncooked, assembled lasagna or you can fully cook the lasagna first, allow to cool, then cover tightly and freeze whole or in smaller portions.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Parisian Crepes
Crepes are classic Paris street food. After burning calories getting intentially lost in the winding streets of the great French city, I've often found a creperie with a corner window that slides open to take the hungry tourists' orders. Sometimes I'd choose savory with "oeuf, fromage, et jambon" (egg, cheese and ham), sometimes sweet with Nutella and banana, always with buerre, "oui, merci", I'd say, as they put a large pat of butter on the hot steele under my crepe. They'd wrap the filled pancake in paper after folding it into a cone for a hand held edible treat. I'd walk down the street, butter dripping down my chin (one time even onto my jacket) as I continued on to discover even more.
When I want to relive these memories, I whip up a batch of crepe batter and fill the thin pancake with egg, ham, and some good and strong tasting, easy melting cheese. I recently used a 4 year aged white cheddar that my parents brought while visiting from Wisconsin- it was delicious.
I find a hand whisk is the best tool to use to first blend the dry ingredients, then whisk the egg into the melted butter, and then lastly to blend all the ingredients together. By using the method below of combining the egg and the butter first, you prevent the butter from solidifying when trying to blend it into the dry ingredients along with the cold milk.
Parisian Crepes
1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (or 1 teaspoon Diamond Kosher Salt)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 cups milk
optional: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (for dessert crepes)
Mix together in medium mixing bowl or batter bowl the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Microwave the butter in a measuring cup or small glass bowl just until melted. Add the eggs to the melted butter and whisk until combined. Add this egg and butter mixture to the dry ingredients along with the milk. Add vanilla if making sweet dessert crepes. Whisk until smooth.
If planning on cooking your fillings in your crepes, have them ready to go before you start the next step. For my savory crepes, have eggs, sliced ham and grated or sliced cheese on stand-by.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour enough batter to coat the bottom of the hot pan, swirling to spread the batter. If using a 12 inch skillet, this will be about 1/2 cup. For dessert crepes, I would use a smaller pan. Cook until the batter appears solid and the underside is just starting to brown. Slide a large spatula under the crepe and flip it over.
For my favorite savory crepes, immediately crack one egg onto the cooked side of the crepe. Salt and pepper the egg to taste, then spread the egg around, breaking the yolk, to cover the crepe. Add the siced ham to one half the crepe on top of the egg and the cheese to the other half. When the egg is almost fully cooked and the cheese is starting to melt, flip the cheese-covered half over the ham and brown the outer side of the crepe to the desired depth. When fully cooked and heated through, crease the folded crepe down the center, folding in half again so the semi-circle is now a cone shape. These can be kept warm in the oven until ready to eat.
If planning to fill the cooked crepes with prepared fillings, cook until the other side is browned and then stack the cooked crepes separated by waxed or parchment paper. Fill with desired ingredients and roll or fold burrito-style.
When I want to relive these memories, I whip up a batch of crepe batter and fill the thin pancake with egg, ham, and some good and strong tasting, easy melting cheese. I recently used a 4 year aged white cheddar that my parents brought while visiting from Wisconsin- it was delicious.
I find a hand whisk is the best tool to use to first blend the dry ingredients, then whisk the egg into the melted butter, and then lastly to blend all the ingredients together. By using the method below of combining the egg and the butter first, you prevent the butter from solidifying when trying to blend it into the dry ingredients along with the cold milk.
Parisian Crepes
1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (or 1 teaspoon Diamond Kosher Salt)
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 cups milk
optional: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (for dessert crepes)
Mix together in medium mixing bowl or batter bowl the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Microwave the butter in a measuring cup or small glass bowl just until melted. Add the eggs to the melted butter and whisk until combined. Add this egg and butter mixture to the dry ingredients along with the milk. Add vanilla if making sweet dessert crepes. Whisk until smooth.
If planning on cooking your fillings in your crepes, have them ready to go before you start the next step. For my savory crepes, have eggs, sliced ham and grated or sliced cheese on stand-by.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour enough batter to coat the bottom of the hot pan, swirling to spread the batter. If using a 12 inch skillet, this will be about 1/2 cup. For dessert crepes, I would use a smaller pan. Cook until the batter appears solid and the underside is just starting to brown. Slide a large spatula under the crepe and flip it over.
For my favorite savory crepes, immediately crack one egg onto the cooked side of the crepe. Salt and pepper the egg to taste, then spread the egg around, breaking the yolk, to cover the crepe. Add the siced ham to one half the crepe on top of the egg and the cheese to the other half. When the egg is almost fully cooked and the cheese is starting to melt, flip the cheese-covered half over the ham and brown the outer side of the crepe to the desired depth. When fully cooked and heated through, crease the folded crepe down the center, folding in half again so the semi-circle is now a cone shape. These can be kept warm in the oven until ready to eat.
If planning to fill the cooked crepes with prepared fillings, cook until the other side is browned and then stack the cooked crepes separated by waxed or parchment paper. Fill with desired ingredients and roll or fold burrito-style.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Click for article: 4 major popcorn makers to drop toxic chemical
When you think about it, it's really amazing how the food industry has taken something as simple to make as popcorn and basically contaminated it by packaging it for the convenience of making it in a microwave. Some added oil, chemical flavorings, and a microwave, and Voila! you have fake butter flavored freshly popped corn. The fake butter flavor is now feared to cause cancer. I can't say I'm surprised. That stuff has no similarity to butter or even margarine for that matter. It doesn't take a genius to realize there is nothing natural about it. I suppose now people will be wishing they hadn't sold their popcorn poppers on that rummage sale so many summers ago.
For those who have forgotten how to pop corn the old fashion way, all you need is heat and corn. If trying it on the stove top, add a little oil along with the unpopped kernals. Keep a cover on the kettle and shake it continuously so the corn doesn't burn. Take it off the heat when the corn stops popping. If you'd prefer to follow a recipe, you're in luck: I found this one for "Plain Popcorn" on epicurious.
For those who have forgotten how to pop corn the old fashion way, all you need is heat and corn. If trying it on the stove top, add a little oil along with the unpopped kernals. Keep a cover on the kettle and shake it continuously so the corn doesn't burn. Take it off the heat when the corn stops popping. If you'd prefer to follow a recipe, you're in luck: I found this one for "Plain Popcorn" on epicurious.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Cottage Cheese Rugelach with Walnuts
I found this recipe on epicurious after Lou made a request for cookies and I realized I had cottage cheese that needed to be used up. (One of the great things about using Epicurious is you can search by ingredient.) Rugelach are like little crescent rolls that in this case are filled with a brown sugar/walnut mixture. If you are reluctant to make a rolled cookie, this is a great recipe to try. The dough at first may seem a little sticky, but after being refrigerated, it is very easy to work with. The dough calls for just three ingredients- Cottage cheese, margarine, and flour. The obvious change that must be made here is to use butter instead of margarine. Because, as you should well know after reading this blog, we do not use margarine in anything- and if you forget why, just remember simply that margarine is not natural and more specifically, the trans fats will eventually kill you. I replaced the margarine with unsalted butter, which I always use in baking and cooking so I can control the salt content. This required an addition of about 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, which would equal about 1/2 teaspoon table salt. I tasted the dough to determine this. If you use salted butter, you may not need to add any salt as one stick of butter contains about 1/2 teaspoon on average.
With the above substitution and addition of salt, these came out to be some top notch cookies. They are dangerously easy to scarf down, and as I've just determined, make for an excellent breakfast treat with your coffee- like a mini danish. Here's the recipe, revamped:
Cottage Cheese Rugelach with Walnuts
(based on this recipe from Bon Appetit, March 1996)
Dough:
2/3 cup small-curd cottage cheese
2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
Filling:
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg wash:
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
Mix cottage cheese and 2/3 cup butter in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in flour and salt until dough is smooth, about 1 minute. Divide dough into 2 balls. Flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; freeze until firm enough to roll, about 10 minutes, or place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, vanilla and 3 tablespoons margarine in a food processor. Blend until almost smooth paste forms.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 10-inch round. Spread half of brown sugar mixture evenly over. Cut round into 16 wedges. Starting at wide ends, roll up wedges. Bend ends in, forming crescents. Place on ungreased heavy baking sheet. Repeat rolling, filling and shaping with remaining dough disk.
Beat egg and milk to blend in small bowl. Brush glaze over crescents. Bake until cooked through and light brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
With the above substitution and addition of salt, these came out to be some top notch cookies. They are dangerously easy to scarf down, and as I've just determined, make for an excellent breakfast treat with your coffee- like a mini danish. Here's the recipe, revamped:
Cottage Cheese Rugelach with Walnuts
(based on this recipe from Bon Appetit, March 1996)
Dough:
2/3 cup small-curd cottage cheese
2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
Filling:
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg wash:
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
Mix cottage cheese and 2/3 cup butter in a medium bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in flour and salt until dough is smooth, about 1 minute. Divide dough into 2 balls. Flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; freeze until firm enough to roll, about 10 minutes, or place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, vanilla and 3 tablespoons margarine in a food processor. Blend until almost smooth paste forms.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 10-inch round. Spread half of brown sugar mixture evenly over. Cut round into 16 wedges. Starting at wide ends, roll up wedges. Bend ends in, forming crescents. Place on ungreased heavy baking sheet. Repeat rolling, filling and shaping with remaining dough disk.
Beat egg and milk to blend in small bowl. Brush glaze over crescents. Bake until cooked through and light brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
Friday, June 08, 2007
Chocolate Pots de Creme
When there are fresh strawberries in my house, there is usually Angel Food Cake. And, when there is Angel Food Cake, there are unused egg yolks. As we sliced into the light spongy Angel Food Cake and prepared to devour it with fresh strawberry topping, Lou asked me why you never see Angel Food Cake in restaurants. Good question, I thought, but didn't know the answer to it. Perhaps it is just too common? Lou asked if there would be a good use for the leftover egg yolks in a restaurant...I replied, yes easily, for we often see creme brulee on a menu, which is basically baked custart and uses only the yolk. Lou's question reminded me that I myself had meant to use the leftover egg yolks for Pots de Creme, custards baked in individually sized ramekins. Pots de Creme are the antithesis of Angel Food Cake (which Lou thinks is healthy because it contains no fat, never mind all that sugar). Pots de creme are virtually all fat.
To make this decadent dessert, I would only need some whipping cream since I had the other three ingredients- yolks, sugar, and some very fine chocolate that I had bought on my trip to Chamonix, France in February. (Good quality chocolate is key to this dessert.) The following day, I purchased a pint of heavy whipping cream and set to work, very little work, for this is one of the easiest desserts on earth to make...
Chocolate Pots de Creme
2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream
5 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and heat a tea pot of water to simmer for a hot water bath.
Rinse a medium saucepan with water, then add the cream to the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. (By rinsing the pan with water, there will be a small shield between the cream and the pan that will keep the cream from scorching.)
While the cream is coming to a simmer, stir the granulated sugar into the egg yolks in a large bowl until blended. Set aside.
When the cream has reached a low simmer, remove from heat and break the chocolate into the cream. Stir until completely melted.
Whisk a small portion of the chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture to temper the egg, taking care not to "cook" it. Add the remaining chocolate mixture whisking continuously.
Pour the custard into six 3/4 cup custard cups. Place in a flat-bottomed roasting pan and add the simmering hot water until it comes halfway up sides of cups. Bake until the custards are set around the edges but still soft in center. (they'll move slightly when shaken) About 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the cups from the water bath and chill in the refrigerator, uncovered until cold. If making ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap- they'll keep for a few days covered and kept chilled.
To make this decadent dessert, I would only need some whipping cream since I had the other three ingredients- yolks, sugar, and some very fine chocolate that I had bought on my trip to Chamonix, France in February. (Good quality chocolate is key to this dessert.) The following day, I purchased a pint of heavy whipping cream and set to work, very little work, for this is one of the easiest desserts on earth to make...
Chocolate Pots de Creme
2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream
5 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and heat a tea pot of water to simmer for a hot water bath.
Rinse a medium saucepan with water, then add the cream to the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. (By rinsing the pan with water, there will be a small shield between the cream and the pan that will keep the cream from scorching.)
While the cream is coming to a simmer, stir the granulated sugar into the egg yolks in a large bowl until blended. Set aside.
When the cream has reached a low simmer, remove from heat and break the chocolate into the cream. Stir until completely melted.
Whisk a small portion of the chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture to temper the egg, taking care not to "cook" it. Add the remaining chocolate mixture whisking continuously.
Pour the custard into six 3/4 cup custard cups. Place in a flat-bottomed roasting pan and add the simmering hot water until it comes halfway up sides of cups. Bake until the custards are set around the edges but still soft in center. (they'll move slightly when shaken) About 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the cups from the water bath and chill in the refrigerator, uncovered until cold. If making ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap- they'll keep for a few days covered and kept chilled.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam
Each year, I look forward to strawberry season. I've been well aware of this time of year since I was about 3 feet high. My mom would return from the garden and announce the berries were ripe for the picking, with a sample in hand to taste. She'd gather some ice cream pails and we'd start our journey down to the garden, (which being only 3 feet high, seemed like a long ways) passing by the blooming lilac bushes along the driveway, taking in their essence. My mom would make note that on the way back, we should cut some branches to put in vases for the table. We'd harvest what seemed like an endless supply of strawberries which was lucky for me, because no one seemed to notice that I ate more than went into my pail. This was an exciting time for a little girl on the farm- ripe strawberries on the vines meant it was time to celebrate, it meant it was summer. The Wisconsin sun dried up the spring rains and it could go to work on the newly planted garden and crops. Soon there would be cucumbers and beans and fresh peas that we would eat straight from the pod.
When the fresh strawberries were long gone, we still enjoyed fresh strawberry taste in what seemed an endless supply of strawberry jam. My mom's jam is not the same dark strawberry preserve you can buy off the shelf in the store. This is bright red, real strawberry-tasting freezer jam. It's kept in the freezer, so the berries do not need to be cooked and the jars do not need to be sealed by processing with heat-the key to its fresh taste.
These days, I don't garden much, unless you count a few herb plants. I lack my mom's green thumb and time. Luckily, that doesn't mean we have to go without strawberry jam. When strawberry season rolls around, which I look forward to each year, I count on the local farmers to bring some quality berries to the market. To make good jam, you've got to start with great strawberries. On Saturday, Lou and I went to the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market with the mission in mind to find some great tasting organic berries. We found some at Ella Bella Farm's stand. The berries were not too big, were red all the way through, and gushed with juice. Not at all like the flavorless, over-sized conventional berries with fibrous centers that you find in the large grocery stores that have been engineered to be transported for miles and even across states. These were the berries of my youth.
To make the Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam, you'll just need a little patience for de-topping all those berries, some sugar, pectin, and possibly some lemon juice- depending on which pectin you purchase. I like to use Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin. Whichever pectin you choose to use, the key is to follow the directions that come with it for "freezer jam", because the amount of sugar needed varies with the brand and variety you use. Some include citric acid -those that do not will require you to add some lemon juice. I use a stiff pastry blender to cut through and mash the berries. A potato masher would work well too. A food processor would take the elbow grease out of this process, but beware not to overdo it. The jam is best when there are some nice chunks of berry. Stir well to make sure the pectin and sugar are thoroughly mixed with the crushed berries. Oh, and don't over look your freezer space. The jam will last a month in the refrigerator, but I like to make enough to last us until next year's strawberry season, so make sure you have room to store it. For containers, I use 8 oz. jelly jars that you can find at the hardware store- they are the perfect size, although Lou can sometimes dust one in a week. You can also use plastic storage containers.
After the jam is made, go find some lilac blossoms or buy some flowers. Because there's nothing like fresh strawberry jam in your fridge and flowers on your table to remind you it's summer.
When the fresh strawberries were long gone, we still enjoyed fresh strawberry taste in what seemed an endless supply of strawberry jam. My mom's jam is not the same dark strawberry preserve you can buy off the shelf in the store. This is bright red, real strawberry-tasting freezer jam. It's kept in the freezer, so the berries do not need to be cooked and the jars do not need to be sealed by processing with heat-the key to its fresh taste.
These days, I don't garden much, unless you count a few herb plants. I lack my mom's green thumb and time. Luckily, that doesn't mean we have to go without strawberry jam. When strawberry season rolls around, which I look forward to each year, I count on the local farmers to bring some quality berries to the market. To make good jam, you've got to start with great strawberries. On Saturday, Lou and I went to the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market with the mission in mind to find some great tasting organic berries. We found some at Ella Bella Farm's stand. The berries were not too big, were red all the way through, and gushed with juice. Not at all like the flavorless, over-sized conventional berries with fibrous centers that you find in the large grocery stores that have been engineered to be transported for miles and even across states. These were the berries of my youth.
To make the Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam, you'll just need a little patience for de-topping all those berries, some sugar, pectin, and possibly some lemon juice- depending on which pectin you purchase. I like to use Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin. Whichever pectin you choose to use, the key is to follow the directions that come with it for "freezer jam", because the amount of sugar needed varies with the brand and variety you use. Some include citric acid -those that do not will require you to add some lemon juice. I use a stiff pastry blender to cut through and mash the berries. A potato masher would work well too. A food processor would take the elbow grease out of this process, but beware not to overdo it. The jam is best when there are some nice chunks of berry. Stir well to make sure the pectin and sugar are thoroughly mixed with the crushed berries. Oh, and don't over look your freezer space. The jam will last a month in the refrigerator, but I like to make enough to last us until next year's strawberry season, so make sure you have room to store it. For containers, I use 8 oz. jelly jars that you can find at the hardware store- they are the perfect size, although Lou can sometimes dust one in a week. You can also use plastic storage containers.
After the jam is made, go find some lilac blossoms or buy some flowers. Because there's nothing like fresh strawberry jam in your fridge and flowers on your table to remind you it's summer.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
All Bran Muffins
When I was a kid, I remember making All-Bran Muffins from the recipe on the side of the box of All-Bran cereal. That was the only reason my mom bought the cereal- no one seemed to like to eat it straight. Not to be confused with All-Bran flakes, when you pour this cereal in a bowl, it looks like a bird's nest of tiny twigs, so as you can imagine, it's a little "rough" and of course, high in fiber.
I found a similar cereal at Trader Joe's called "High Fiber Cereal"-catchy, huh? The classic "front of the box" cereal picture of the contents in a bowl with some milk and of course fresh strawberries (which the cereal manufacturers seem to think you can get any time of the year) reminded me of the classic All-Bran. I picked up a box and decided to find the recipe.
Apparently, there's a new version of the old All-Bran muffin recipe. Not sure why they'd change something that tastes so good...but I easily found the classic one we made years ago. I did make one change for the better. Instead of using all-purpose flour, I use white whole wheat flour, made from white wheat as opposed to red wheat and often found under the label "Whole Wheat Pastry Flour". I've made the recipe three times in the last two weeks and the muffins do not make it past 2 days in this house. Lou's been scarfing them down in threes.
All-Bran Whole Grain Muffins
2 cups All-Bran Cereal or Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Butter a standard 12-muffin tin. If it's a non-stick pan, you can butter the bottoms only.
In large bowl, combine cereal and milk. Let stand for 10 minutes or until the cereal is soggy.
Meanwhile, stir together remaining dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. When cereal has sufficiently softened, add the egg and oil and stir well. Then, fold in the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Fill the prepared muffin tin and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
I found a similar cereal at Trader Joe's called "High Fiber Cereal"-catchy, huh? The classic "front of the box" cereal picture of the contents in a bowl with some milk and of course fresh strawberries (which the cereal manufacturers seem to think you can get any time of the year) reminded me of the classic All-Bran. I picked up a box and decided to find the recipe.
Apparently, there's a new version of the old All-Bran muffin recipe. Not sure why they'd change something that tastes so good...but I easily found the classic one we made years ago. I did make one change for the better. Instead of using all-purpose flour, I use white whole wheat flour, made from white wheat as opposed to red wheat and often found under the label "Whole Wheat Pastry Flour". I've made the recipe three times in the last two weeks and the muffins do not make it past 2 days in this house. Lou's been scarfing them down in threes.
All-Bran Whole Grain Muffins
2 cups All-Bran Cereal or Trader Joe's High Fiber Cereal
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Butter a standard 12-muffin tin. If it's a non-stick pan, you can butter the bottoms only.
In large bowl, combine cereal and milk. Let stand for 10 minutes or until the cereal is soggy.
Meanwhile, stir together remaining dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. When cereal has sufficiently softened, add the egg and oil and stir well. Then, fold in the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
Fill the prepared muffin tin and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Stinky Cheese
Today I had little time for lunch so I went to a deli across the street from my work (yes, I have a day job) that sells cheap sandwiches. I also had very little cash on me, so it served me well in my limited time, limited money state. As I was waiting for them to take the hot pastrami out of the microwave for my pastrami and swiss cheese sandwich on wheat, another customer ordered white bread with mayonaise and cheese. When asked which type of cheese she would like, she chose American. Who in the world orders a white bread sandwich with mayo and cheese? I thought she must be someone who has no spirit of adventure and no regard for the wonderful flavors of real food. I thought she probably has never gone to France and eaten stinky cheese...
On our recent trip to Chamonix in February, we ate plenty of stinky cheese and filled our condo's refrigerator with the local varieties. It was so odorous that some of our crew complained of how bad the refrigerator smelled to the point that we decided to put it outside on the patio table. To me, sure it smelled stinky, but it also smelled delicious, savory, even mouth-watering.
The reaction of my non-stinky-cheese eating friend reminded me of my youth when I was taught to grimace at the smells of my dad's German Brick. We called it Dad's stinky cheese. In fact, my mom put it on a separate plate from the rest of the cheese, so it wouldn't "contaminate" the others. I probably wouldn't have liked it as a kid-back then, Cheddar was too strong for me. I ate lots of Colby.
For Christmas this year, my parents sent a big box of Wisconsin cheese. They asked us if we wanted anything in particular, and we mentioned Limburger. The Wisconsin Dairy State Cheese Company in Rudolph, Wisconsin sells some top notch stuff. They sent us two blocks of it and one of German Brick. On first glance, I thought, that was the stuff I don't like...that's Dad's stinky cheese after all. I wondered why they'd send me this, was it a mistake, was Dad missing his cheese? My grown up rationalization overtook those childish thoughts and I realized that they probably figured if we eat Limburger, which can smell pretty ripe, we'd probably like German Brick too. And so we dug into it. Wouldn't you know it, we liked it better than the Limburger! It was an excellent cheese- if only I'd tried it earlier.
On our recent trip to Chamonix in February, we ate plenty of stinky cheese and filled our condo's refrigerator with the local varieties. It was so odorous that some of our crew complained of how bad the refrigerator smelled to the point that we decided to put it outside on the patio table. To me, sure it smelled stinky, but it also smelled delicious, savory, even mouth-watering.
The reaction of my non-stinky-cheese eating friend reminded me of my youth when I was taught to grimace at the smells of my dad's German Brick. We called it Dad's stinky cheese. In fact, my mom put it on a separate plate from the rest of the cheese, so it wouldn't "contaminate" the others. I probably wouldn't have liked it as a kid-back then, Cheddar was too strong for me. I ate lots of Colby.
For Christmas this year, my parents sent a big box of Wisconsin cheese. They asked us if we wanted anything in particular, and we mentioned Limburger. The Wisconsin Dairy State Cheese Company in Rudolph, Wisconsin sells some top notch stuff. They sent us two blocks of it and one of German Brick. On first glance, I thought, that was the stuff I don't like...that's Dad's stinky cheese after all. I wondered why they'd send me this, was it a mistake, was Dad missing his cheese? My grown up rationalization overtook those childish thoughts and I realized that they probably figured if we eat Limburger, which can smell pretty ripe, we'd probably like German Brick too. And so we dug into it. Wouldn't you know it, we liked it better than the Limburger! It was an excellent cheese- if only I'd tried it earlier.
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