HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN

Posted in General by sallybr

I like to think I’m in control of my life. Efficient could very well be my middle name.

Or so I thought.

We traveled to Portland for a few days this week, and I had a blog post more or less ready to wrap up and publish during our trip. Efficient, remember? We left very early on Monday. I woke up with a serious case of bad hair day which should have been the first indication of trouble. It was so bad that I wore a hat to meet Phil downstairs for our cappuccino, but you don’t have to take my word for it. Of course, a nice shower solved the important issue, and by the time we left to go to the airport I felt I could be seen in public. It was cold. Very cold. Cold as in hat and glove and scarf, and heavy coat cold. Very heavy coat. You should take note of that, it will be important. There might be a quiz.

We did not have printed boarding passes. We went full-blown techie and got mobile passes only. Looking back, that was a mistake. When boarding started, we noticed the seat info was not there, so both Phil and I were messing with our phones while walking the line to board, trying to retrieve the darn email with the full trip info. It was a bit hectic. I do not recommend you try it.

Finally, we got to our seats and took a deep breath of relief. I wondered what to do in the reasonably short flight to Dallas, a little over one hour-long. Should I get my iPad and read a little? Nah, let me tackle a Sudoku instead. Grabbed the American Airlines magazine, hoping the Sudoku page would be untouched by previous travelers (you never know…), and there it was, waiting for me, a clean, pristine page. Big inner smile, I went straight for the most difficult one, of course. How could I not? The darn thing was hard indeed. Super challenging. I got so involved with it that I refused club soda, coffee, and even those spice cookies I love so very much. I could not peel my eyes off the page. I managed to finish it just as the plane was landing, how about THAT for efficiency? I was on top of the world, particularly because Phil was still struggling with it. Disclosure: he always beats me in Sudoku. I wanted to do a victory lap dance as soon as we left the tight plane, but my world was about to be violently shaken. I grabbed my coat, my handbag, and then… went to get my laptop from underneath the seat, but it was NOT THERE. Did it slip away to the seat in front? No, nothing there. Big huge shiver up and down my spine. Could I, could I possibly….. have left it behind at the airport? I knew it went through security screening…

By that time I was already in full hyperventilation mode, hands shaking, could barely put two logical thoughts together. I had never done anything quite like that in my life. Could I be losing it? (no need to answer, thank you very much). Phil found the number for the airport, I called, first they said they found nothing, which made me hyperventilate even more. But, they promised to call back. Very long 10 minutes passed, then I got the news that they found my laptop resting next to a seat at the gate. There is only one gate in the little airport of our town, that definitely helped my case. I cannot begin to tell you how relieved I was.

We should always try to learn from our mistakes. Get to the root of our problems to overcome them. So, after a lot of inner thought, I saw the light: it is all this miserable weather’s fault. Cold temperatures that forced me to carry around a very heavy coat. It was so heavy that it tricked my mind into thinking I had the computer bag with me. Simple as that. Case closed. Page turned. Absolutely nothing wrong with me. HA!

Spring, I am ready for you!

A new, food related post should be coming soon to a food blog near you… I promise!

9Dec2016

PISTACHIO CREME BRULLEE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

ÉA couple of months ago I invited you for a tour of our kitchen, and talked about a very special ingredient: pistachio paste. Pause for swoon. At the time I promised to share my first experiment with it, one that involved macarons, but I’m not quite ready to reveal that. Instead, I must tell you about my second adventure because I am feeling on top of the world about it. Pistachio Crème Brûllée. It resulted in a heartfelt O.M.G., with a Happy Dance to boot!

PISTACHIO CRÈME BRûLLÉE
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

2 cups heavy cream (about 460 g)
2 tsp pistachio paste
pinch of salt
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar (65 g)
1 tsp vanilla extract
turbinado sugar for the surface

Heat the cream in a saucepan until bubbles start to form at the edge. Add the pistachio paste, whisk to fully dissolve it. Heat in low heat for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and cover the pan. Allow it to steep for 20 minutes.

Transfer the infused cream to a bowl, add the salt, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisk to combine all ingredients. Add the sugar and mix until fully dissolved. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a large measuring glass, preferably with a spout.

Divide the mixture into four ramekins, 6-ounce size.

Pour 1 cup of water inside a crock pot. Place the ramekins inside, and turn it on low. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, checking the temperature after 2 hours with an instant thermometer. It should read 185 F for perfect texture. If you don’t have a thermometer, stop cooking when the custard is still a bit jiggly in the very center.

Remove the ramekins to a drying rack. When fully cooled, transfer to the refrigerator, covered with aluminum foil. Before serving, sprinkle turbinado sugar over the surface and burn it with a torch.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Cooking the custard in the crock pot is simply brilliant. Granted, it takes longer than in a regular oven, but the texture turns out perfect. The instant thermometer is a must to get it exactly right, though. Your cooking time may vary a little. Mine hit 185 F after 2 hours and 20 minutes. Overcooked crème brûllée would be a shame, but the crock pot considerably reduces that risk.

When serving this delicacy, you’ll have two options: burning the top right before serving, or doing it earlier and placing the custards back in the fridge. The former allows you to show your skills with the culinary torch in front of your guests, for that wow moment… The latter lacks the awe factor, but results in a homogeneously firmer texture. When you burn the top, the custard right beneath it will be a bit soft. Honestly, it doesn’t bother me. So I always go for the awe factor. I realize that pistachio paste is not a common ingredient, and pretty pricey, but a little bit goes a long way, and it freezes well, in small, teaspoon size portions. Of course, you could infuse your heavy cream with other ingredients, make a maple, coconut, chocolate version. Whatever you do, try the crock pot if you have a chance. I can only fit four ramekins in mine, but I rather not have too many brûllées around anyway. Four is a perfect number…

ONE YEAR AGO: Fast and Furious Bison Chili

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, December 2014

THREE YEARS AGO: Braised Fennel with Saffron and Tomato

FOUR YEARS AGO: Revenge of the Two Derelicts

FIVE YEARS AGO: Grilling Ribbons

SIX YEARS AGO: Peppery Cashew Crunch

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

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5Dec2016

NEW MEXICO PORK CHILE, CROCKPOT VERSION

Posted in Pork by sallybr

Ah, the best laid plans! After being away from home for two weeks, resuming the routine can be a bit tricky. I chose simple recipes for our dinners, as we did not have much of a chance to catch our breath. We landed around noon on a Sunday, and went back to work early next day. One simple dinner would be a pork chili made in the slow-cooker. It is so convenient to arrive back from work to a dinner waiting for you. So, I set the ingredients at lunch time, and worked the whole afternoon with that feeling of accomplishment and anticipation on the back of my mind. But fate had other plans for us. It turns out that the electricity company stopped by to install a new meter in our backyard, and shut the power off for a little while. We saw them arriving just as we drove away, but did not think much about it. When I arrived home for dinner, the crock pot was off. The meat had stayed inside for 6 long hours, at room temperature. It all went to the trash, even if part of me wanted to cook the heck out of it in a pressure cooker. I decided safe is better than sorry. We ordered pizza instead. But, undeterred, I bought another piece of meat that same evening, and made this chili next day. It was totally worth it! I advise you to make it, and if you don’t have a slow-cooker, just use your oven low and slow.

NEW MEXICO PORK CHILE
(inspired by America’s Test Kitchen)

3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoons New Mexico chili powder
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup strong brewed coffee
2 teaspoons instant tapioca
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 to 3 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
Salt and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro leaves, minced
zest and juice of half a lime

Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with vegetable oil spray. In a small saucepan, heat the tomato paste, New Mexico chili, oil, and garlic powder until fragrant. Add chicken stock, coffee, brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Warm it all together for a minute or so, transfer to slow-cooker. Sprinkle the tapioca, mix to combine.

Season the meat all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in the slow cooker, the liquid does not need to cover the meat, just make sure to spoon some of it over the top. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 hours on low. Half an hour before serving, use a fork to cut the very tender meat in chunks, and mix with the sauce. Leave it for 30 minutes, then add cilantro, lime zest and juice right before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Most recipes for this type of chili recommend using pork shoulder or butt, cuts with a lot of fat in them. You can definitely use either, but the drawback is that cutting the meat into chunks is a bit of a pain. I never think it’s going to be a big deal once I grab the huge bag and place in my grocery cart, but then, the moment I open it and realize the task ahead, a sort of sadness invades me. Followed by the Keep Calm and Carry On stance. America’s Test Kitchen hit gold when they changed the game by using boneless, country-style pork ribs. They are equally marbled with fat, and all the work involved is ripping the plastic cover of the grocery tray. I was a bit skeptical because my experience with this type of meat was less than stellar. More often than not, I ended up with meat a bit dried up and with an odd texture. Not the case. These were melt-in-your-mouth tender, very moist and flavorful. Just the right amount of heat for our taste. The quick cooking tapioca thickens the sauce ever so slightly, but I used a lot less than called for in most recipes. You could omit it, if you don’t mind a bit of a watery sauce.

Phil enjoyed the chili over white rice and some Ranch style beans, I opted for cauli-rice and half an avocado, with the mandatory drizzle of lime juice. The package I bought had three pieces of country-style ribs, a little over 3 pounds total. Leftovers were enough for another full dinner for both of us.

ONE YEAR AGO: Chocolate on Chocolate

TWO YEARS AGO: Double Chocolate and Mint Cookies

THREE YEARS AGO: The Story of my first Creme Brulle’

FOUR YEARS AGO: Sourdough Mini-rolls

FIVE YEARS AGO: Focaccia with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Gorgonzola

SIX YEARS AGO: Mediterranean Skewers

SEVEN YEARS AGO Fettuccine with Shrimp, Swiss Chard, and Tomatoes

1Dec2016

PUMPKIN BROWNIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets by sallybr

It’s that time of the year, everything pumpkin showing up to say hello… I shall add my humble contribution to the party with this batch of delicious brownies that I made for our department a few weeks ago. The original recipe called them bars but in my mind, brownies fit them quite well. They are moist, sweet, with all the mandatory spices that warm your body from the inside. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. Perfect as a little pick me up mid-morning. A shower of colorful sprinkles is optional. I found the recipe through a google search in the blog Sugar Apron. Such a cute name!

PUMPKIN BROWNIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(from Sugar Apron)

for the brownies:
1(15 oz) can pumpkin
2 eggs
2 cups flour (250 g)
1 cup sugar (225 g)
1/2 cup oil (112 g)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

for the frosting:
4 oz cream cheese (115 g)
3 tbsp butter,softened
1 tsp milk, if needed
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar (110 g)
colorful sprinkles (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, ground ginger, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cloves and cinnamon. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the eggs, vanilla, oil and pumpkin on medium speed until light and fluffy. Pour in the center of the dry ingredients, then stir gently, just until combined. Ladle the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. When completely cooled, frost.

Make the frosting by combining the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl beating an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low-speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. You may need to add a little milk to make it spreadable if your butter wasn’t soft enough. Spread frosting evenly on top of cake, add sprinkles if you like. Cut the brownies into any size you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These were another huge hit with our department, judging from the enthusiastic feedback and how fast they disappeared from the mail room. I of course loved them, with all those spices it could not be different. If you have homemade pumpkin puree, use it. I recently learned that most canned pumpkin products are actually made from types of squash. It doesn’t bother me at all, but if you are a serious pumpkin purist, consider making the veggie mash from scratch. The frosting was a lot of fun to make, I did not need to include milk. It doesn’t get hard, so I kept the whole pan in the fridge overnight, sliced and took to work early next morning. Sprinkles of course make it very festive. My bottle of sprinkles is pretty big, so I need more reasons to use them before we get into the horrific, depressing, devastating, catastrophic dead of winter.

ONE YEAR AGO: Anne Burrell’s Focaccia

TWO YEARS AGO: Double Chocolate and Mint Cookies

THREE YEARS AGO: Cappuccino Panna Cotta

FOUR YEARS AGO: Chicken Parmigiana, the Thriller

FIVE YEARS AGO: Wild Mushroom Risotto

SIX YEARS AGO: Tartine Bread: Basic Country Loaf

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Pugliese Bread

28Nov2016

A NEW WAY TO ROAST VEGGIES

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Fine Cooking is my favorite cooking magazine. I do like Saveur, but for some odd reason never cook anything from it, I like Food and Wine a lot, and have mixed feelings about Bon Appetit. In some ways, I think the magazine is going a bit heavy on the trendy, fashionable, hip. Maybe hip is a dated term already, but you catch my drift. Fine Cooking focuses on recipes, good cooking, tips and advice that help not only the novice cook, but those who feel comfortable around the kitchen. My success rate with Fine Cooking recipes is pretty close to 100%, so what’s not to like, right? The latest issue had a nice article on “A New Way to Roast Vegetables” and it’s at the same time simple and clever. They offer many examples of veggie combinations, but the basic idea is that whatever veggie you intend to roast, first you place it in the oven covered with aluminum foil, that will essentially steam the veggie and partially cook it. Next, you remove the cover foil and proceed with the roasting. To make clean up even easier, it is a good idea to line the baking sheet with aluminum foil too, so that during roasting whatever could stick to the pan will stick to the foil instead. Of course, you could steam the veggies in a regular pan first, or even pre-cook them in a microwave, but the simplicity of this method won me over. I did not follow their recipe for carrots, but if you own the magazine take a look at it. They use smallish carrots with the tops still on, and serve them as the appetizer course with a yogurt-spice sauce drizzled all over. I opted for a more austere version, pairing carrots with paprika, not much else.

STEAM-ROASTED CARROTS WITH PAPRIKA
(inspired by Fine Cooking)

5 large carrots, cut any way you like
drizzle of olive oil to coat them
1/4 teaspoon paprika
salt and black pepper to taste

Heat the over to 440 F.

Place the cut carrots in a large bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle spices all over.

Mix well to coat.

Line a baking dish with aluminum foil to allow for easier cleaning later. Make sure to use a rimmed baking sheet, not a baking utensil with tall sides, that will prevent proper browning. Arrange the carrots on a single layer, cover the baking sheet with a second sheet of aluminum foil, and place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Carefully remove the top aluminum foil (use tongs), and leave it in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes more, moving the pieces around after 10 minutes. Serve right away.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We absolutely loved the texture of these carrots. I normally find that roasted carrots need to be cut pretty small to allow for homogeneous cooking at high temperature, and even doing that I end up with some pieces that are too hard, some too soft. This method delivers on all counts, texture and flavor. Of course, you can use all sorts of spices, maybe a bit of maple syrup or Sriracha together with the olive oil (I’ll be trying that combo soon), and serve the carrots with a yogurt-based sauce, with tahini, lemon, whatever you crave at the moment. As I mentioned, I opted for a very basic version, which is a real test for the method, no distractions. Cauliflower, potatoes, eggplant, turnips, they can all be roasted this way, for the most part all veggies have enough moisture to steam while covered.