THE SECRET RECIPE CLUB COOKIE SWAP: SPICED HONEY-GINGER COOKIES

Posted in Cookies, Desserts, Sweets, Secret Recipe Club by sallybr

I have been a member of The Secret Recipe Club for a little over 3 years, and never get tired of it! Getting assigned a food blog every month to cook from is so much fun, because it exposes you to different styles of cooking and of course opens the horizons to new sites that could otherwise go unnoticed. Every year, the club takes a break for the holidays, so groups C and D do not post in December. However, instead of taking a break this year, Sarah, the club’s Owner – and Resident Saint who keeps our boats sailing smoothly – came up with a different twist: both groups would be joined in a single event, a Cookie Carnival Swap. Participation would not be mandatory, so that those who prefer to sit back and relax could do so. Me? Sitting out? No way. So, this month we have a huge event with 60 food bloggers! As usual, we were assigned a blog in secret, and had to pick a cookie recipe to make and blog about. My assigned blog, Culinary Adventures with Camilla, was a ton of fun to stalk! One of the things I loved about her site is that she designs all her recipes. Nothing from cookbooks or cooking shows. That is beyond impressive. Camilla describes herself as a “tree-hugging, veggie-crunching, jewelry-designing mean mommy who loves to cook but hates to clean”. She is also a freelance writer and photographer for Edible Monterey Bay. Is that cool or what?

I had a tough time deciding between three cookies: Faux-reos, Salted Mayan Chocolate, and Spiced Honey-Ginger Cookies. You must stop by and read about her Oreo Cookie experience, she was sort of challenged to make them from scratch, and admitted she had never even tried a Oreo until then. Talk about a challenge! Still, my love for spices made me choose the last one. Plus, since the recipe called for ginger syrup, it gave me the opportunity of making it myself, something I’ve been meaning to try for years.

SPICED HONEY-GINGER COOKIES
(slightly modified from Culinary Adventures with Camilla)

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 C butter, at room temperature
1 cup raw turbinado sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup ginger syrup (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons honey (I used acacia honey)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour, ginger, baking soda, and spices into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Add in the sugar. Beat in the egg, honey, and ginger syrup. Mix together until a soft dough forms. Pinch off small amounts of dough, and roll into balls. Place the balls 2″ apart on an ungreased baking sheet, flatten slightly. Bake until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 13 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here
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GINGER SYRUP
(adapted from many sources)

4 ounces fresh ginger, unpeeled
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
pinch salt

Cut the ginger into small pieces. Place the ginger pieces with water, sugar, and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to a low simmer, and cook for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Let cool, then strain the syrup through. Store the strained syrup in the refrigerator, covered. It should keep for a couple of weeks.
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to print the ginger syrup recipe, click here

These cookies were absolutely delicious, and perfect for this time of the year. If you like gingersnaps, they will please you because they are similar, but the cardamon takes them in a slightly different direction. On a side note, every time I open the bottle of cardamon I get mesmerized by its intense, delicious smell. Truly addictive for me. I reduced the amount of ginger powder called for in the recipe because my syrup seemed very powerful. Do not be alarmed by the amount of sugar in the recipe: one cup of sugar plus the syrup, and honey. The cookies end up with a perfect balance of spice and sweetness.

I took the full batch (about 35 cookies) to our department, and once again they were a huge hit. They seem pretty humble and harmless, but once you grab the first one it is impossible not to go back for more.

The ginger syrup was a fun culinary project that made our home smell terrific on a gray Saturday afternoon. You will have more than you need for the cookies, so consider making homemade ginger ale: just add a little syrup to a glass with some ice cubes, squirt a little lime juice, and fill the glass with carbonated water or club soda. If the temperature outside was not so polar-bear-friendly, I would have a glass right now.

Camilla, you have a great food blog, and I’ll be visiting you often from now on. I hope you also had a blast with your assignment… As a note to my readers, at this time of the year cookies are in everyone’s mind, so click on the blue frog for a serious collection of goodies made by my fellow virtual friends from The Secret Recipe Club.

Sarah, thanks for organizing this event, saving me from a horrible SRC withdrawn episode!

ONE YEAR AGO: A Simple Taco to Remember

TWO YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with Homemade Calzones

THREE YEARS AGO: Plum-Glazed Duck Breasts

FOUR YEARS AGO: Holiday Double-Decker

FIVE YEARS AGO: New York Deli Rye

12Dec2014

THE PERFECT BOILED EGG

Posted in Salads, Small Dishes by sallybr

What food blogger in his or her right mind would make a post on hard-boiled eggs? If you are about to click away from this page, not without first canceling your subscription to my site, please stick around… This is a life-changing method, I promise you.

I love hard-boiled eggs, they are often part of my lunch or dinner salads, but I hate when they are hard to peel. I have tried every single method around, including some recommended by cooking pros such as Ina Garten. In fact, her method used to be my default procedure: bring the water with eggs to a boil, cover the pan, turn the heat off, wait 15 minutes. Let the eggs cool for a couple of minutes, peel and enjoy them. The egg will be perfectly cooked, no green ring around the yolk, but peeling is another story. Most will be a nightmare to peel, some will behave well. Hit or miss.

Just last month my friend Cindy told me about steaming eggs instead of boiling them. She raved about the method from SeriousEats that she stumbled upon through eGullet. Having nothing to lose, I tried it. It is AMAZING. I recommended it in a cooking forum, and one of the members cooked 36 hard-boiled eggs, came back to say that every single one was perfectly cooked AND peeled flawlessly and easily. Convinced yet?

I used the same method to make soft-boiled eggs, and it worked like a charm. So here it is, plain and simply how to get Eggxhilaration in the kitchen.

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THE PERFECT BOILED EGG

Pour a couple of inches of water in a double-boiler and bring to a boil.

Carefully place as many eggs as you want from the fridge into the steamer basket, and add them on top of the boiling water, reduce heat to a simmer.

Immediately close the pan and start a timer.

For hard-boiled eggs, steam for 10 to 11 minutes, test to see how you prefer them.

For soft-boiled eggs, steam for 6 minutes.

Have a bowl of cold water ready, when the time is up, use kitchen tongs to remove the eggs from the steamer, dropping them in the cold water to stop cooking. Store in the fridge to enjoy later, or peel right away.

Have a tissue nearby to wipe your tears of joy.

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What I love about the method is its simplicity. Bring a little water to boil, place a steamer on top and cook to your level of liking, which is easily found in a couple of trials. Imagine that you want to make a big batch of deviled eggs and would like them all to be gorgeous. Well, this method will save you a ton of grievance.

Messages to thank me can sent by email at sallybr2008 at gmail dot com. I promise to share them all with Cindy. 😉

Steamed for 6 minutes, peeled and ready for an encounter with an Ak-Mak cracker…

10Dec2014

PORK TENDERLOIN ADOBADO

Posted in Pork by sallybr

One of the cuts of meat that is always present in our weekly rotation is pork tenderloin, because it cooks fast and goes well with many types of seasonings. For that reason, I am always searching for new ways to prepare it. I found this recipe through a Google search, decided to give it a try without any intention of blogging about it. Sometimes it’s nice to simply cook and eat dinner like normal people do. You know, without the need to scream at your partner “DO NOT DARE TOUCHING IT, I HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE!”. It does get old after a while. So, I sliced the meat, served it, and Phil, very surprised asked me “You won’t be blogging about this?”. No, I’ll let this one slide by. Then, he took a first bite, and told me “Sally, this has got to be in the blog, it’s very good!”. I had to agree, it turned out super tasty, and deserves to be shared with my readers. A picture was quickly snapped, and we moved on with our dinner.

PORK ADOBADO
(adapted from Elly Says Opa)

1 Tbsp. grape seed oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup ancho chile powder
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup water
1 pork tenderloin, around 1.25 lb, butterflied

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant and golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the chile powder, vinegar, oregano, sugar, salt, and water. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes until flavors are combined. Let cool to room temperature (or, if making ahead, refrigerate). Set aside about 1/4 of the marinade.

Place the remaining marinade and the pork tenderloin in a shallow bowl or resealable bag, making sure to coat the pork with the marinade. Marinate for several hours or overnight.

Sprinkle a little extra salt on the tenderloin. Grill to your desired degree of doneness, brushing with the reserved marinade half way through cooking. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you want to learn more about the concept of “carne adobada” in Mexican cooking, Wikipedia is waiting for you with a click here. This preparation ends up with a subtle heat, and the acidity of the vinegar brightens up the flavors. Very nice take on pork tenderloin, which should work equally well on boneless chicken breasts. You can cook the pork on a cast iron pan and finish it in the oven, or use any type of preparation you are comfortable with. I always butterfly it to speed up cooking, but the original recipe did not call for it.

As I mentioned many times, we grill 12 months of the year. Phil grew up in Michigan and a little snow (less than 3 feet, that is) doesn’t scare him. Me? I inform that we will be grilling, which means “Darling, you light the grill, monitor the cooking, and bring it all back to the warmth of our home once it’s done”. Sometimes I amaze myself at my efficiency.

ONE YEAR AGO: Braised Fennel with Saffron and Tomato

TWO YEARS AGO: Revenge of the Two Derelicts

THREE YEARS AGO: Plum-Glazed Duck Breasts

FOUR YEARS AGO: Peppery Cashew Crunch

FIVE YEARS AGO: Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

6Dec2014

IN MY KITCHEN: DECEMBER 2014

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Joining the virtual party that Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial started years ago, I invite you to take a walk through our kitchen this month. To see what is going on in kitchens from food bloggers all over the world, click here.

A few gifts to get this show on the road….

From the one and only MC, hostess of Farine, a newly released book, Bar Tartine

Very unique cookbook, that will certainly stretch the horizons of anyone who is up to the challenge. Make your own powders, sprouted grains, vinegar, and come up with very creative and unusual dishes. The overall gist of the book reminded me of Ottolenghi & Tamimi’s recipes. Thank you, MC!

From my friend Cindy, who knows very well my taste for colorful stuff, this beautiful rest for hot pans.

Some gifts received during our recent trip to Brazil…

From my sister and her partner in Brazil, a very special bottle of pinga (ou cachaça) a sugar cane product similar to rum. Whereas the clear pinga is used for making capirinhas, this one, a little more yellow, is refined, barrel-aged, and best if consumed in small shots, very cold. From the state of Minas Gerais.

From our dear friend Gabi, some more color to spice up our kitchen, in a set of four kitchen towels, one of them already in use, perfect match for our Supernova stove.

From my niece Raquel, beautiful round place mats, very sturdy and of course, full of color, the way I like…

In our kitchen….

A cake stand, kind of retro. I found it at an antique store in a tiny town in Kansas called Cottonwood Falls. The town is just like one of those old wild west locations, frozen in time. A cool place to visit if you ever find yourself in Kansas.

In our kitchen….

A spatula to move cake layers. For someone who is afraid of baking cakes, I seem to get quite a few “right tools” for the job. What can I say? This seemed very handy, and was on sale at Tuesday Morning. It found a nice home in our cabinet, next to all my baking gadgets.

In our kitchen…

Jams and maple syrup brought home by the husband after a trip to Marshalls… From left to right: Wild Maine Strawberry Jam, “regular” Strawberry Jam, Confiture de Cassis, Red Tart Cherry Preserves, and Marionberry Jam (whatever that is… ).

In our kitchen…

Acacia honey… Forgive me local food advocates, because I sinned. Yes, this honey got into a plane and flew all the way from Germany to the US, probably yet another flight took it from New York to Kansas City, and with luck the last leg of the trip was in a truck. I am very sorry, but I love it.

In our kitchen…

Some oven gloves in silicone, how could I resist this bright red? Impossible. They work quite well, and I’m glad I brought them home.

In our kitchen…

This odd-looking bowl is actually super cool! You know how every KitchenAid comes with a plastic attachment to make it easier to pour flour and other ingredients into the mixing bowl? I don’t know a single person who likes it. It is cumbersome, a pain to assemble, and doesn’t work well. This bowl is perfect. You add all the flour into it, mix and use the pouring side to add it to the KitchenAid. No mess, no fuss, I love it! Plus, it’s bright red, in other words, irresistible.

In our kitchen….

This salt was recommended by a friend. It is infused with real truffles, and a little bit goes a loooong way. Sprinkled over fresh tomatoes, scrambled eggs, french fries, it adds intense truffle flavor.

And, as usual, some furry creatures want to say hello, because our kitchen is their favorite spot to hang out…

Chief, who is not too far from turning 16 years old, has been absent from our IMK posts, but this month he’s feeling better, and wanted to say that he is strong – and smart – enough to search for the spot with the brightest sun in our home.

Of course, sleeping is still his favorite pass time, but if I am “lucky” enough to reach 110 years old, it will be the same for me!

Oscar says: Mom, I am sorry. I begged and begged for this grape, but now I realize I don’t like it. Could you pick it up and take it away from me? It is giving me the creeps…

He also has a slight problem with the concept of the pillow, and prefers to sleep with his head hanging down from the bed.

Buck finds Oscar’s behavior totally unacceptable. A proof of intellectual inferiority, in fact. And to demonstrate his point, he shows his ability of twisting the head at the sound of a puzzling word. According to experts, a sign of canine intelligence. We simply find it too cute. Want to see it in a short video? Click here. Please disregard the fact that he doesn’t think twice before jumping on the furniture. We are working hard to change this behavior, and yes, we understand that giggling when that happens is totally uncalled for.

We’ve been traveling a lot, and that is pretty hard on the pups. Just after coming back from a trip to Chicago and Brazil, we left for another 3-day trip to Houston. Oscar is the one who suffers the most, and the look on his face as he realizes what is going on is pretty hard to take.

Please, Mom, don’t take me to the kennel again! I can stay here waiting for you and Dad… Please? Pretty please?

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Well, I hope you enjoyed the little virtual tour of our kitchen, the last of 2014. It is good to finally be home and have no plans to travel for a while. This has been one busy year for us and the pups… Celia, thanks for the work you put into your monthly In My Kitchen series!

ONE YEAR AGO: The Story of my First Creme Brulle
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TWO YEARS AGO: Half-a-Million Page Views!
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THREE YEARS AGO: Grilling Ribbons
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FOUR YEARS AGO: Peppery Cashew Crunch
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FIVE YEARS AGO: Ossobuco Milanese

2Dec2014

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE AND MINT COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

If you type “chocolate cookie recipe” in a Google search you’ll get over 2 million hits in return. Two million. How many recipes for chocolate cookies does the world need? Nobody knows. Since in my humble food blog I only have 13 cookie recipes, of which less than half involve chocolate, I need to catch up. Here is one more for you, no chocolate chips, just good old melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and pieces of chocolate mint candy, such as Andes. By the way, did you know that Andes mints originated in Chicago in the 1920’s and were originally named Andy’s Mints? It turns out that the owners of the company quickly realized that men did not care to give their partners a candy with another guy’s name on the box. So, instead of honoring its creator, Andrew Kanelos, Andy’s became Andes, and now we have a chocolate mint that is not too far away from celebrating its 100th Birthday. The distinguished candy works well in this recipe from Giada de Laurentiis.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE AND MINT COOKIES
(from Giada de Laurentiis)

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
One 5-ounce package chocolate mint thins, such as Andes, each cut into thirds
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Heat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, combine the bittersweet chocolate and butter. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
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In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, 2 tablespoons water and vanilla extract. Gradually add the dry ingredients. Fold in the cooled chocolate. Stir in the chocolate mint pieces. Chill the dough 10 minutes to firm slightly.

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Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop 6 mounds of batter onto each prepared sheet, spacing evenly apart. Bake the cookies for a total of 18 to 20 minutes, until slightly puffed and dry-looking with some small cracks on top.
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Cool the cookies completely on sheets.
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ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Mint is an interesting flavor. I think most people like it, but when someone doesn’t care for it, it’s a bit like cilantro. Intense hate. I wish I could tell you whether the mint flavor is too strong in these cookies, but I didn’t have a single one. I baked them during my lunch break, took them still warm to the department, but when I went back to grab one, only crumbs were staring at me from the platter. However, according to one of our graduate students, the mint component was pretty mild. Two pointers for success from watching Giada’s show: first, keep the pieces of the Andes candies on the large side, because that makes them melt in your mouth as you bite into the cookie. Second, cool the dough before baking. The recipe uses relatively little flour, so cooling is needed to be able to scoop them out nicely.