tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6696273118853438542024-02-18T19:24:26.565-08:00Baking Bread to Save the WorldI brake for bread, and so should you.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-81426154240531706842010-05-27T01:11:00.000-07:002010-05-27T06:45:05.150-07:00Daring Bakers Returns! PIECE MONTÉE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiezUI_Pxgrvj2JeVDzfGfdNnBiTQFwypIbKF8Si-zRbEzqJSXXTKAPTEu60cwybJLI6UXe9Dzdg0dTz1KjkPDwKxjzT9IScp0KtAqobRFvQBKXYDcZaHJBeQa42EMFGpOWsqA95mFFIbU/s1600/IMG_7788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiezUI_Pxgrvj2JeVDzfGfdNnBiTQFwypIbKF8Si-zRbEzqJSXXTKAPTEu60cwybJLI6UXe9Dzdg0dTz1KjkPDwKxjzT9IScp0KtAqobRFvQBKXYDcZaHJBeQa42EMFGpOWsqA95mFFIbU/s320/IMG_7788.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I have finally completed a <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Baker</a> challenge again. It has been a long absence, and I have definitely missed it. I miss the challenge of trying something new, learning a new technique, being inspired by the amazing work of fellow bakers...and it keeps me blogging.<br />
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The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of<a href="http://www.littlemisscupcakeparis.blogspot.com/"> Little Miss Cupcake</a>. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.<br />
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When I decided I would get back into the swing of the challenges and checked in at the site, I was very excited to see what was selected for this month's challenge. Croqeumbouche is something I have wanted to make for a long time, and one of those fun desserts that looks like a lot more work than it is.<br />
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Then I decided I would make it for a brunch with some <a href="http://fromthefields.blogspot.com/">great friends</a> who, like the DB challenges, we had also been missing for some time, and that's when the nerves started to set in. The only time I had ever had a croquembouche was at one of the Blair's amazing holiday dessert parties. And because my friend is such a wonderful baker, it was of course gorgeous and delicious. I had a lot to live up to if this was going to be my audience. Overall I was quite pleased. My final result was not as dramatic or show stopping as Mrs. Blair's (my sugar work certainly leaves a bit to be desired), but it was delicious.<br />
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I have made choux pastry before - for the Daring Baker's eclair challenge - and it came out fine, if a bit eggy. This recipe however, was awesome! Very easy, fast, and fool proof. It will certainly be my go to choix recipe in the future. The pastry cream was also fantastic. I made the espresso version, and R and I could have eaten a bowl full of it all by itself. The beautiful thing is that this recipe is also easy and fast. My sincere thanks go out to this month's hosts for putting together a great challenge with some wonderful recipes. The recipes are so good, I'm going to go ahead and include the whole thing for you.<br />
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<i><b>My notes for the recipes</b></i>: I followed them to the letter (which I often do when baking something new). I would recommend doubling the Pastry Cream recipe for the amount of choux. The recipe was written as a half batch, but I think it needs the whole batch...did I mention we could have eaten a gallon of this stuff? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2g4MOjfyIPm3dgXNfmGI3BmfELh-_x97r-bPfFhNtFnPBVuKciNyGt_GFY53HocwaDYxuYj70T0Gz5Q3znqDkkOrdxa0vQ1LbQg0u5HfuInfPHynvRFxR3HDWgJ6SfarMXFUhX7eHCNq/s1600/IMG_7793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2g4MOjfyIPm3dgXNfmGI3BmfELh-_x97r-bPfFhNtFnPBVuKciNyGt_GFY53HocwaDYxuYj70T0Gz5Q3znqDkkOrdxa0vQ1LbQg0u5HfuInfPHynvRFxR3HDWgJ6SfarMXFUhX7eHCNq/s320/IMG_7793.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Vanilla Crème Patissiere</b> (Half Batch)</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup (225 ml.) whole milk</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 Tbsp. cornstarch</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">6 Tbsp. (100 g.) sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 large egg</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 large egg yolks</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2 Tbsp. (30 g.) unsalted butter</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 Tsp. Vanilla</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dissolve cornstarch in ¼ cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Continue whisking (<i>this is important – you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook</i>) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>For Chocolate Pastry Cream (Half Batch Recipe):</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bring ¼ cup (about 50 cl.) milk to a boil in a small pan; remove from heat and add in 3 ounces (about 80 g.) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, and mix until smooth. Whisk into pastry cream when you add the butter and vanilla.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>For Coffee Pastry Cream (Half Batch recipe)</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dissolve 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso powder in 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water. Whisk into pastry cream with butter and vanilla.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDBU-Ik1Z6OlU6xECXyCkLMe0Y3YIhe_YpKzN6HXIm5ayeADddxuY5R8OYA2sFXoGn02QlodxSP6x7O5qSaJKN3SthlQ1lW-1C_sD6k3FUex-op6fPm0l_AQuSNFjvFDT_4onzwXlUVQI/s1600/IMG_7780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDBU-Ik1Z6OlU6xECXyCkLMe0Y3YIhe_YpKzN6HXIm5ayeADddxuY5R8OYA2sFXoGn02QlodxSP6x7O5qSaJKN3SthlQ1lW-1C_sD6k3FUex-op6fPm0l_AQuSNFjvFDT_4onzwXlUVQI/s320/IMG_7780.JPG" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Pate a Choux</b> (Yield: About 28)</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">¾ cup (175 ml.) water</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">6 Tbsp. (85 g.) unsalted butter</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">¼ Tsp. salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 Tbsp. sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup (125 g.) all-purpose flour</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">4 large eggs</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">For Egg Wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pre-heat oven to 425◦F/220◦C degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Preparing batter:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Piping:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Baking:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bake the choux at 425◦F/220◦C degrees until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350◦F/180◦C degrees and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Can be stored in a airtight box overnight, but best used right away.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Filling:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Use one of these to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Hard Caramel Glaze:</b></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1 cup (225 g.) sugar</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">½ teaspoon lemon juice</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Assembly of your Piece Montée:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">When you have finished the design of your piece montée, you may drizzle with remaining glaze or use ribbons, sugar cookie cut-outs, almonds, flowers, etc. to decorate.</span></div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-57528581582942142912010-05-26T07:09:00.000-07:002010-05-26T07:09:29.905-07:00A Foodie Fight Win<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD5o9kT6F-faYyNhf8RGeOZTwsZRidG8RaFxB3ExR9KNm1G4IYlzs97lFZjKc6hLzH0dlGi-4lfbX0K22Z3QHc2bq23ZXRU5OVwiHQfUn1mIgxJHs0UTHk3wbdv8tDADEDfyt6dxqQ3K7/s1600/FF_banner_rectangle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRD5o9kT6F-faYyNhf8RGeOZTwsZRidG8RaFxB3ExR9KNm1G4IYlzs97lFZjKc6hLzH0dlGi-4lfbX0K22Z3QHc2bq23ZXRU5OVwiHQfUn1mIgxJHs0UTHk3wbdv8tDADEDfyt6dxqQ3K7/s200/FF_banner_rectangle.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Thanks again for all of the support and votes. With the T<i>angy Shallicot Infused Feast</i> we were able to <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/battle-4-shallots-apricots">win</a> the popular vote, and got a split decision from the two judges: one win, and one runner-up. All together it is currently the high score overall for the new season of <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/">FoodieFights</a>.<br />
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This Battle was a lot of fun! Great food, great competitors, and great friends. And of course a great local farmer (thanks again <a href="http://kmkfarms.com/Welcome.html">KMK Farms</a>! Go sign up for their delicious and customizable <a href="http://thefarmersdaughtercsa.blogspot.com/">CSA</a>.)<br />
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Turns out it takes online food competitions to get me blogging again. I actually completed this month's Daring Bakers Challenge too, so expect to see that post soon.<br />
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Thanks again friends.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-56638695980108497902010-05-24T14:12:00.000-07:002010-05-25T13:58:56.732-07:00A Shallicot Feast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQCZCNZqq3uI804Qhj6q27sPfsC4DqlAsbn7q0gaL2-fnecbYZxRAJrpjaLh-KJhjkd1X-nQASLioJvm-igXdaXU2r-PuV8sZYl41c_x0VBp4NEG5mRXBeySUuxomhnTHHIsXAAJOQMUD/s1600/plate_top.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474964267053371026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQCZCNZqq3uI804Qhj6q27sPfsC4DqlAsbn7q0gaL2-fnecbYZxRAJrpjaLh-KJhjkd1X-nQASLioJvm-igXdaXU2r-PuV8sZYl41c_x0VBp4NEG5mRXBeySUuxomhnTHHIsXAAJOQMUD/s400/plate_top.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 286px;" /></a><br />
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Let them eat Shallicots! Battle Shallots/Apricots is here, and this meal was awesome! I love me some online food challenges – and <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/">FoodieFights</a> in particular never disappoints. Think of it as the Iron Chef of online food challenges – 2 special ingredients are selected, food bloggers put on their thinking caps, create a great meal centered around those ingredients, post the results, and the world gets to vote for their favorite.<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/battle-4-shallots-apricots">GO VOTE!!! at the foodiefights site </a></center><br />
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I of course have a little history with FoodieFights. I was fortunate enough to <a href="http://brakeforbread.blogspot.com/2009/05/foodie-fight-more-like-flavor-love-fest.html">win</a> the second ever FoodieFight challenge – <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/2009/05/05/foodie-fight-2-rhubarb-and-coriander">Battle Rhubarb/Coriander</a>. With the new and improved FoodieFights site up, it was time to throw my hat into the ring again and give it another chance. And when I found out what the ingredients were I was very excited. We are definitely an apricot (and shallot for that matter) loving family. So much so that we planted an apricot tree a few years ago and this is the first year it has started bearing fruit.<br />
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Unfortunately, our apricots are still green. Not to be deterred, I knew a certain local, organic farmer who would come through for us. You see, we live in the breadbasket, agricultural center of the world, and fresh produce abounds. Better still, we are fortunate enough to know our local farmers on a first name basis, and they are awesome. When our favorite farmer Kyle of <a href="http://kmkfarms.com/Welcome.html">KMK Farms</a> found out about the competition, he generously donated over 3 lbs. of apricots for the feast.<br />
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These are not just any apricots. These are certified organic, locally grown, sweet as sin, juice dripping apricots, and I could easily make myself sick eating pound after pound of them. To anyone living even remotely near to me – rush out and sign up for the CSA from KMK – <a href="http://thefarmersdaughtercsa.blogspot.com/">The Farmer’s Daughter.</a> It’s a super cool CSA because you get to pick what goes into it, and it all comes from KMK’s amazing organic farm. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy the delicious bounty of the San Joaquin Valley and support a local organic farmer. THANK YOU <a href="http://kmkfarms.com/Welcome.html">Kyle, KMK</a>, and <a href="http://thefarmersdaughtercsa.blogspot.com/">Farmer’s Daughter CSA!</a><br />
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On to the meal!<br />
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<center><strong>Battle Shallot / Apricot = Tangy, Shallicot Infused Feast</strong></center><br />
<em>There were shallots and apricots in the marinade.<br />
There were shallots and apricots in the chutney.<br />
There were shallots and apricots in the salad.<br />
There were shallots and apricots in the flatbread.<br />
The accompanying cocktail featured apricot alone.</em><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474965556627947314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPPDsWlfUfpn61AwrjsGV9IQdnQij519PtMm_XoIuIIrcp2j7peiywUox1DOXj9Sd3rtsTBxpdIX5OHmH8AM2jlFXUqmxJ4QbX1HFzYmK9G3WYWROFbxlTNiwEH_A_RFyrFSeGUkHUURL/s400/grill.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 245px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /><br />
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<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQHR2i1F7iKtM8cKxicP2XVvq9Nrnb-HCQNuT5v6JfLFE8T3GChuDgGu7V4PeNbFN9dMknHOkBLyH5ncZ7UuTL-9RAICRZVR1xkntXmtGBHgtPFZ69df0k-Yok3LjcF4yBSICZtqTrnq3/s1600/grilledpork.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474965562903425250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQHR2i1F7iKtM8cKxicP2XVvq9Nrnb-HCQNuT5v6JfLFE8T3GChuDgGu7V4PeNbFN9dMknHOkBLyH5ncZ7UuTL-9RAICRZVR1xkntXmtGBHgtPFZ69df0k-Yok3LjcF4yBSICZtqTrnq3/s400/grilledpork.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 450px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br />
The main course: <strong>Smoky Pork Loin Chops topped with Tangy Shallicot Chutney and Crispy Shallots</strong><br />
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These babies were marinated and grilled, then topped with the chutney and crispy, fried shallots.<br />
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<strong>The marinade</strong>: a curry paste of apricots, shallots, garlic, jalapeno, tomato, cumin, salt/pepper, cider vinegar, and yogurt.<br />
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The marinade was blended together and the pork bathed in it overnight in the fridge. The thick chops spent about five minutes per side on the grill, just enough to get a nice char and some attractive criss cross grill lines, but not long enough to subtract the juicy tenderness in the middle. The pork took on some smoky notes (from the grill and cumin), a sweet touch (lent by the apricot), and a little kick in the pants (from the jalapeno). All told, the sum was richly delicious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJoeXF4CXxl0KWn-yyNUuTtMnJUYSWPVtfg0-mw_39iNqfFWITeyTXH7rg6sBZ-whMgNlGaSFVlicYvLwcgV8x-4tCxPuU-3Ji5EznFuKDcJbJzpHO5StDb68G42XpeAVNtHtd7CItnE0/s1600/chutney1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474974414828011266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJoeXF4CXxl0KWn-yyNUuTtMnJUYSWPVtfg0-mw_39iNqfFWITeyTXH7rg6sBZ-whMgNlGaSFVlicYvLwcgV8x-4tCxPuU-3Ji5EznFuKDcJbJzpHO5StDb68G42XpeAVNtHtd7CItnE0/s400/chutney1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 302px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPUIZOBHP5VtiZDy42DlcD9USOiBx8zsrfAC6UzGxDsAZEJGy-usuHucJphAmVhE2cxWyLDgBHPBpdq9VvtlFtNsByr2NuEmL6WMF7E03JM3cG7p4yaSeMuVvg-Fk_ce6btw49BMADIF_/s1600/chutney2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474974405622585170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAPUIZOBHP5VtiZDy42DlcD9USOiBx8zsrfAC6UzGxDsAZEJGy-usuHucJphAmVhE2cxWyLDgBHPBpdq9VvtlFtNsByr2NuEmL6WMF7E03JM3cG7p4yaSeMuVvg-Fk_ce6btw49BMADIF_/s400/chutney2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
But the essential counterpoint to the pork chops' richness was the bright and springlike, intensely flavorful chutney sitting right on top, accompanying each bite. The chutney really played up the shallot-apricot relationship, made it right up front.<br />
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<strong>The chutney:</strong> a relish of apricots, shallots, raisins, cider vinegar, brown sugar, cumin, garam masala, coriander, dried mustard and ginger, and salt/pepper. Everything was mixed together and simmered down for nearly 30 minutes creating a rich and bold treat.<br />
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Although the chutney was front and center, the vibrant flavors managed to somehow still be quite subtle, revealing themselves slowly over each bite and throughout the meal. My wife continued to call out ingredients as we ate because the individual components came through with different mouthfuls. The chutney kept each bite novel, kept the palate curious for more.<br />
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On top of the nice dollop of chutney was a few pinches of <strong>fried shallot garnish</strong>. And this was not just for looks. In fact, we all agreed that the crispy, fried shallot rings made the dish. The crunchy texture, mixed with the velvety mouthfeel of the chutney and the warm and smoky sweet pork was a shallicot dream come true.<br />
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But why stop there when shallicot is so good? And after all, one dish does not a feast make.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2smGMrUM9r8R08CRq_a_JXaae4RmENxm35SvtZjUykpKtLHRZyoRaNB7W2xFIoSC0T1g7Nhh47wU6DBkUlMJKY91d7o_xKwG6cUV97IHv4MDcCNrWaUNKsFFRsKXX4RUn_iTexdb_uWej/s1600/salad1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474978868691342418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2smGMrUM9r8R08CRq_a_JXaae4RmENxm35SvtZjUykpKtLHRZyoRaNB7W2xFIoSC0T1g7Nhh47wU6DBkUlMJKY91d7o_xKwG6cUV97IHv4MDcCNrWaUNKsFFRsKXX4RUn_iTexdb_uWej/s400/salad1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 283px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj744kN9KIziv5hVBhOcGOW9p1TSHn7m-RRce0aH8pakxrkC6oA791ejM3whpCp7pgbQUsDMfySHTsDFm1w2PYJI0hyj2D5fmlQStwUuQREjIcw1yYFGFKMzyeWlrDK0mReYFQ5UPl9D9o_/s1600/salad2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474978860133341986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj744kN9KIziv5hVBhOcGOW9p1TSHn7m-RRce0aH8pakxrkC6oA791ejM3whpCp7pgbQUsDMfySHTsDFm1w2PYJI0hyj2D5fmlQStwUuQREjIcw1yYFGFKMzyeWlrDK0mReYFQ5UPl9D9o_/s400/salad2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a><br />
<strong>The salad</strong> was a perfect companion to the richness and warmth of the pork. It was a cold watermelon salad, with grilled apricots, thinly sliced shallots, feta and tons of chopped mint (from <a href="http://kmkfarms.com/Welcome.html">KMK Farms</a>, of course). The dressing was a very simple olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper mix just to bring out the crispness of the fruit and tie it all together. It was a refreshing and delicious addition to the festive plate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGj_Y8SV_cD3kX4BO1MjDKimeDni22d2sAktJxSOYIA6hC0sLCxo5N4vDd1ADqjUTdBNnWqIW5d0xmuc3AY2mfRoU0fBPjOLLLQvCp9t4h4F4XFe6VnbAX0fKTOApqqBxi3JPlCJ52wzh/s1600/bread1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474977820947557634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGj_Y8SV_cD3kX4BO1MjDKimeDni22d2sAktJxSOYIA6hC0sLCxo5N4vDd1ADqjUTdBNnWqIW5d0xmuc3AY2mfRoU0fBPjOLLLQvCp9t4h4F4XFe6VnbAX0fKTOApqqBxi3JPlCJ52wzh/s400/bread1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYqe8_3Pn8jhlFrpwujQbn0co48EPOaIMH2UVpOWCZ6N2Y_vGdPIp8-GRxKKVATDLw377VHoeNjkVzao-PbsOnatIBiqFI8cvqVVD1V7q9_wUsYSmyf7Znr-Y8oY8uzB0qREkeYCHirB1/s1600/bread2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474977810254639170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYqe8_3Pn8jhlFrpwujQbn0co48EPOaIMH2UVpOWCZ6N2Y_vGdPIp8-GRxKKVATDLw377VHoeNjkVzao-PbsOnatIBiqFI8cvqVVD1V7q9_wUsYSmyf7Znr-Y8oY8uzB0qREkeYCHirB1/s400/bread2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 277px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UKZqRG_YcPgL4XMAzbSrsEi6QDJqg9JoasV9Rt9AIiLeIREDfsU-tIx2PV6R5bn7rjKxEemhRT4UmkFobr3HtQdF_-yAlA-L1eAIjpIXZnded4zXIZclOMNqTBOMCnPWVHeLRvpHf3Hd/s1600/bread3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474977801421103762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UKZqRG_YcPgL4XMAzbSrsEi6QDJqg9JoasV9Rt9AIiLeIREDfsU-tIx2PV6R5bn7rjKxEemhRT4UmkFobr3HtQdF_-yAlA-L1eAIjpIXZnded4zXIZclOMNqTBOMCnPWVHeLRvpHf3Hd/s400/bread3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 328px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>And because we love carbs, and because no meal is complete without some homemade bread, we went with a <strong>shallicot flatbread</strong> – naanesque if you will – to compliment the slightly Indian flavors of the pork and chutney. This was a simple yeasted flatbread cooked on a hot stone in the oven for just a few minutes on each side. I incorporated diced dried apricots and butter sautéed shallots into the dough, which was a really nice way to round out the meal. I reserved the butter that the shallots sautéed in, and brushed it onto the flatbreads as they came off the hot stone. The flatbread was perfect for sopping up the juices of the meat and any extra chutney you may have.<br />
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<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxiMsMFn8QDldC0uteXxQf8Cn1lA-iUe_hRLZZKJa9ckxAbfKb8bUNF9YLgyUMbN1QK6aaRWmlXKD8iHo_rQg1Ch1cwBw36e0m-oEhIoyUotKYiOhg1pBt0fSE93mFt7paYt-7jwnUFOl/s1600/drink.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474948069457554386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxiMsMFn8QDldC0uteXxQf8Cn1lA-iUe_hRLZZKJa9ckxAbfKb8bUNF9YLgyUMbN1QK6aaRWmlXKD8iHo_rQg1Ch1cwBw36e0m-oEhIoyUotKYiOhg1pBt0fSE93mFt7paYt-7jwnUFOl/s400/drink.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 360px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a></div><br />
<div align="left">Finally, this meal was a celebration of the season’s bounty, the online and local food communities, and general deliciousness of springtime everywhere... and we all know that every celebration needs a <strong>cocktail</strong>. I pureed some of the fresh apricots with a touch of water and mixed it in a cocktail shaker in a 1:1 ratio with vodka and a bit of powdered sugar. I then strained that into a cocktail glass and added a little more apricot puree. It was topped off with sparkling lemon soda.<br />
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And that my friends, is a Tangy Shallicot Infused Feast!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi366bk0eUkNombzn-B5-tqQrQUOBZ8kK2gmzKfqroQVP2y-aRQPR-uOKBiAgJf60YjdPHmrSZwejRZF0TYRn0HxoO5gpuvRVd7JmCMFREDQriCgR5PwbE1wYlFsDxYOU1z-CVH5nWhlClr/s1600/plate.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474948063175641026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi366bk0eUkNombzn-B5-tqQrQUOBZ8kK2gmzKfqroQVP2y-aRQPR-uOKBiAgJf60YjdPHmrSZwejRZF0TYRn0HxoO5gpuvRVd7JmCMFREDQriCgR5PwbE1wYlFsDxYOU1z-CVH5nWhlClr/s400/plate.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 360px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
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<div align="center"><strong>Cheers!</strong></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHQIsFGSvS-AK-YiABZD43wl8LuYovZjAYUXczMFWvhl9et-AQuqCygjsoCNeFeQCeNf7gY7hyFwQghC7KcmAyIb-dbO7Gz-YRFVrQDJk6h0I_-gRfwj50dqCjBsqCmUtoQwASetm6vTr/s1600/cheers.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474948057417536706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHQIsFGSvS-AK-YiABZD43wl8LuYovZjAYUXczMFWvhl9et-AQuqCygjsoCNeFeQCeNf7gY7hyFwQghC7KcmAyIb-dbO7Gz-YRFVrQDJk6h0I_-gRfwj50dqCjBsqCmUtoQwASetm6vTr/s400/cheers.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" /></a> </div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-76416018986926177242010-05-21T08:27:00.000-07:002010-05-21T08:59:23.151-07:00The Foodie Fight is On...Again!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmyWRbmgNttH4QEpxfL7Ey727ZFlKktp_ut_1quqUUCwqR-EgKnBCScYt2-6tAMNo0pawPY-6D2w8vLrbxtmB3l_pRJ42ksqKeCJDOVUTTF4Ru83pajqcHme28CUrMLncG0izzMsBgI46/s1600/battle4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 362px; height: 119px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmyWRbmgNttH4QEpxfL7Ey727ZFlKktp_ut_1quqUUCwqR-EgKnBCScYt2-6tAMNo0pawPY-6D2w8vLrbxtmB3l_pRJ42ksqKeCJDOVUTTF4Ru83pajqcHme28CUrMLncG0izzMsBgI46/s400/battle4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473752779267371922" /></a><br /><br />I've been bad at blogging. We've moved, kids are busy, etc. No excuses. Except maybe the move - still getting used to not having a gas range - but the double oven is definitely a plus for baking.<br /><br />Well, while I was taking my online break, so was <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/">Foodie Fights</a>. They took a few month hiatus, and are now back with <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/">FoodieFights 2.0</a>. Having had so much fun, and <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/2009/05/05/foodie-fight-2-rhubarb-and-coriander">done so well</a>, with the last foodie fight challenge <a href="http://brakeforbread.blogspot.com/2009/05/foodie-fight-more-like-flavor-love-fest.html">Battle Rhubarb and Coriander</a>, I definitely wanted to throw my hat in again as soon as possible.<br /><br />Well, this weekend, it's on. Welcome to <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/battle-4-shallots-apricots">Battle Shallot and Apricot</a>. I'll be creating and cooking the dish this weekend, posting to the blog at the end of the weekend and then voting begins on Tuesday the 25th. So please stay tuned for another post soon, with pictures, recipes and voting instrucitons.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-74265560186604644692010-02-04T09:09:00.000-08:002010-02-04T09:57:14.722-08:00In Search of Pizza Perfection<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yemwbMPmxQo3pb6jVkb36Zm7s_cQQl6P4JB6IglGW0vgDqJHSxAD3edwFzsSjg7_SUJBY2mtsvx2JoZyoPNkZoqQjbVwdHJE96Z5GWPffKGWo8DgdIFtOy7k4_KY0W8BCEZcoCaSluBY/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_yemwbMPmxQo3pb6jVkb36Zm7s_cQQl6P4JB6IglGW0vgDqJHSxAD3edwFzsSjg7_SUJBY2mtsvx2JoZyoPNkZoqQjbVwdHJE96Z5GWPffKGWo8DgdIFtOy7k4_KY0W8BCEZcoCaSluBY/s400/photo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434437410889327634" border="0" /></a><br />It's a thankless job, but someone has to do it :) We've been having pizza every now and then lately in order to try to really dial in our pizza recipe and technique.<br /><br />The problem, of course, with making pizza at home is that your oven just doesn't get hot enough. My oven's top temp is 500 degrees F, some go up to 550, but still, that doesn't come anywhere near the temp needed to recreate the great Neapolitan/neo-Neapolitan etc. pizza's coming out of all the great artisan pizzerias with their schmancy wood fired ovens (which, seriously, as soon as we are settled in a house I know I am staying in, I will be building one). Those ovens are typically cooking pies at upwards of 800 or 900 degrees. <a href="http://slice.seriouseats.com/jvpizza/">Some</a> have tried to replicate this by disabling the locking mechanism on their oven and cooking the pizza using the self-clean function, but I'm not willing to blow through a few ovens in this endeavor - I know, fair weather baker indeed.<br /><br />So, working with what tract housing has given us, one should still be able to eat some great pizza. A large part of that is wrapped up in how one is preparing their dough. As this is all a work in progress, I will update with specifics of the dough once I feel comfortable with a recipe. The key is, sourdough and a slow, cool fermentation to bring out the flavor in the dough. This has the added bonus of making it easier to prep. You mix the dough the night before you plan to make pizza, knead it up a bit, form it into dough balls, and store in the fridge overnight. The next day, just take them out about a hour before you plan to bake (and while you preheat the oven) and you're good to go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLglmnkkhp5MQhHEWh9dP4SgkNnSdrTr_ZIKlUWtyrtyrQxjRDgmrsgdz1pVtIGWjaqeW08WFMPpscgV5fJxPbLgymbFL3rB9NGbifPmdKE93q_AdueTacRn2NdxClcApBO9wQSBnpN_E/s1600-h/photo(2).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLglmnkkhp5MQhHEWh9dP4SgkNnSdrTr_ZIKlUWtyrtyrQxjRDgmrsgdz1pVtIGWjaqeW08WFMPpscgV5fJxPbLgymbFL3rB9NGbifPmdKE93q_AdueTacRn2NdxClcApBO9wQSBnpN_E/s400/photo(2).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434437421284566178" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We've been saving some dough for the next morning and making breakfast pizzas. This one has sausage, thyme, and an egg. Just crack the raw egg onto the other toppings and cook as usual. It will firm up just enough and still have an awesome yolk run over the pie. It may sound a bit weird at first, but it's awesome.</span></span><br /><br /><br />The other key is of course toppings. Make a simple but vibrant sauce, source quality ingredients, and don't over do it. Most pizzas suffer from topping and cheese overload. Use a light hand, let the real flavors come through, you want to taste that delicious crust after all.<br /><br />The main things we have been working on lately is technique. Given the 500 degree limitation, how does one get nice charring on the bottom crust, cooked pizza, and bubbling hot toppings? I've gone through few different trials and think I am honing in on it.<br /><br />One important element is the pizza stone. If you want to take your pizza seriously you need a baking stone. They store crazy amounts of heat, and are porous to wick moisture out of the dough and help it crisp up. I started by just preheating the heck out of my stone and baking the pizzas on them. With a thin crust pizza this is okay. Pies take about a 8-12 minutes to bake, and they are good. Really, they're fine. If this is all you do, you beat the socks off any delivery pizza just because you've used better ingredients and it's homemade. But it doesn't really begin to reach pizza nirvana.<br /><br />The next trial was to move the stone to the very top of the oven (I use a gas oven) and preheat the stone with the broiler on. This gets hotter than the regular bake function on the oven. I haven't tested the temp, but the oven says it gets up to 525. Again, preheat the heck out of the stone and slide your pizza onto the stone and let it cook. This got the time down to about 5 minutes (not too bad) but by the time the top was done and starting to dry out even, we didn't have the gorgeous charring on the bottom crust. In fact it was a bit underdone. Hmmm, not quite there yet.<br /><br />The best option so far is a two part process. Heat the stone under the broiler as before for at least 30 minutes. It will cycle on and off, but will still heat up. About 10 minutes before you are ready to bake the first pie, heat a cast iron pan (I use one with no sides, like a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008GKDN/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0018EAK7A&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1TY0VMCWBE836CMVNVHZ">comal</a>, makes it easier to get on and off) on your strongest burner on your stove. Crank that flame up to high and let that bad boy get scorching hot. Turn on vents, and open windows at this time (hey, I never said the process wasn't going to be messy, but the results are worth it). While the cast iron pan heats up, prep your dough - don't make it bigger than your pan obviously - top it with your chosen sauce and toppings and then slide it onto the pan.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgFyHkmqO7-XLUzm_8hbUS0Xfc8CBsnx8l7KXMuTedjUAsVhl9iMdigv20KPu8K7TiWdZjY-fkcJY9_yq400jnrlboQ1cY9qUzQBWnATjxp6F6DDM855Af2xTCueoPvYBWlN4Wh4r-FKE/s1600-h/photo(3).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbgFyHkmqO7-XLUzm_8hbUS0Xfc8CBsnx8l7KXMuTedjUAsVhl9iMdigv20KPu8K7TiWdZjY-fkcJY9_yq400jnrlboQ1cY9qUzQBWnATjxp6F6DDM855Af2xTCueoPvYBWlN4Wh4r-FKE/s400/photo(3).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434437427333087714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Come on, that looks rad, right? Look at that nice char.</span></span><br /></div><br />This is going to give you the nice leopard-spotting on the bottom, the charring in spots that crisps up the bottom crisp and gives you that wood fired flavor. Keep an eye on it, lifting with a spatula to take a peek often. It's not going to take long, maybe 2 or 3 minutes max. If it's burning all over you can turn the heat down, or just transfer it earlier.<br /><br />Once the bottom crust is looking good, transfer the pie to the preheated baking stone under the broiler. This step will finish the top side of the pizza, which really hasn't been cooked at all while on the stove. Again, this will only take a few minutes, so keep a close eye on it. Once it looks bubbling and delicious, pull it out, slide it onto a cutting board, slice it up and eat.<br /><br />I use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza around and I think it makes life much easier, but you can get by with a combo of good spatula and the back of a cookie sheet if you must.<br /><br />If you are looking for great pizza, I recommend giving this technique a try. I'm still fine tuning but I think we're on the right path.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdg21DxQ0Syo22rxeVuOTgHcA03WvwbUMYm7LDWrNPhTWXoPIonKkLPHpKzBmCrhnBJXlOPi4imS7Dcsmjp4JpO5E1a8sCcacDwLIFBD5Zu7qHXG0dVC-XsSwNG-ZO76uXpPztFEDbq8-g/s1600-h/photo(4).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdg21DxQ0Syo22rxeVuOTgHcA03WvwbUMYm7LDWrNPhTWXoPIonKkLPHpKzBmCrhnBJXlOPi4imS7Dcsmjp4JpO5E1a8sCcacDwLIFBD5Zu7qHXG0dVC-XsSwNG-ZO76uXpPztFEDbq8-g/s400/photo(4).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434437433391022146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Another great breakfast pizza.</span></span><br /></div><br /><br />We've also made some crispy, thin crust pies based on Jim Lahey's no-knead method. It is super duper easy and makes a good pizza. The crust goes together in a few hours only, no kneading and it gets spread on an oiled cookie sheet, topped and baked in a hot oven. No special techniques need. R is a fan, I think it's okay, but I prefer the more labor intensive method above. But for a quick family pizza night, it ain't bad.<br /><br />This is a sausage and fennel pie, using the Lahey method.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VaIkFO809qYAe7Hqn-JYfCWQuEHuu90KOy9BRUZMM_ZGfki42ei7VpEFjbr5efnVbdIvSxT0QQO3lHu_DeEImNPr3cGSPidFwPYze9XZUqFfjzgdIawreDRvLHWXoOHInfz9ngCpVNll/s1600-h/photo(5).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VaIkFO809qYAe7Hqn-JYfCWQuEHuu90KOy9BRUZMM_ZGfki42ei7VpEFjbr5efnVbdIvSxT0QQO3lHu_DeEImNPr3cGSPidFwPYze9XZUqFfjzgdIawreDRvLHWXoOHInfz9ngCpVNll/s400/photo(5).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434437442721527346" border="0" /></a><br />The crust gets crispy from the oiled cookie sheet. Not too shabby, for a quick pizza fix.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOCyPULHs8J0Yba6n5XOiyeZk__EtiTrzObXwGTadIYQgNLok8gtqLcVtEZtCdVgspKD-NNutbmFEHbt_QLeN8LlRtuLTnaud6olA0CxPvOIv9i0AjS93EB14JtAHUvvM2IQnig02k1hi/s1600-h/photo(6).jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOCyPULHs8J0Yba6n5XOiyeZk__EtiTrzObXwGTadIYQgNLok8gtqLcVtEZtCdVgspKD-NNutbmFEHbt_QLeN8LlRtuLTnaud6olA0CxPvOIv9i0AjS93EB14JtAHUvvM2IQnig02k1hi/s400/photo(6).jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434439857618916530" border="0" /></a>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-92476427172394032010-01-04T19:14:00.001-08:002010-01-04T19:14:32.566-08:00Fish Lovers<br /><br /><center><a href='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/10/01/04/797.jpg'><img src='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/10/01/04/s_797.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Can I just say that I love my kids? This dinner was for H (age 4) who when asked said her favorite foods are fish, green beans, and peas. This was a simple N. African inspired fish dish - Fish Algiers. Tilapia in cumin, lemon, tomato, parsley etc. with green beans in a traditional shallot dressing with toasted almonds and a touch of feta. We also had some rice cooked in veg broth with toasted pinenuts, raisins, and lemon. <br /><br />I'll post recipes soon but wanted to get the silly iPhone photo up and play with mobile blogging. And to say how much I love that my kids scarfed this meal down and heaped some Daddy praise. My kids are rad!<br /><br />- mobile update <br />Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-88121860734976538762009-11-12T12:30:00.000-08:002009-11-12T12:30:00.196-08:00Homebrew Beer for Beginners (like me)<center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/596.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_596.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></center><br /><p>Brewing my own beer is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time. I grew up appreciating good beer – I was never one to binge drink Coors Light just because it was cheap and available. Beer is something to be appreciated.<br /><br />I like to cook and bake because I enjoy the process, but also because I like to eat. It therefore stands to reason that I would be interested in brewing beer – a fun project, with (hopefully) delicious results. I was also interested in the process because my grandfather used to brew his own brews. In fact, I inherited some supplies from him that I faithfully moved (and stored) from one home to another before finally disposing of them just months before getting into brewing myself.<br /><br />Not to be deterred, I checked in with a friend of mine whom I know to have done some serious brewing in the past. Turns out it had been a while for him and he was looking to get started again, so I had the pleasure of joining him for a few of his all-grain brew sessions. Once I finally got started on my own, I started with a kit, as most beginners do. However, having had the experience helping with an all-grain brew, I am quickly moving in that direction. It’s just a much more enjoyable process and you ultimately have much more control over the ingredients, process, and final product.<br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/587.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_587.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><p><br />Having asked countless questions, read up on various online forums, etc., I finally purchased a kit from <a href="http://williamsbrewing.com/">Williams Brewing </a>and got started on my own. The first kit I brewed was an American IPA (actually I brewed one before that on my friends equipment, but due to some freezing conditions in my new fridge, the product was a bust). The IPA was hoppy and delicious, but also suffered from the same fridge freezing conditions. After going through about a dozen freeze-thaw cycles, the last bit of the brew just felt anemic and flat. Overall however, a relative success, and when the temp was well controlled, the beer was awesome. </p><p>The beer in these pictures is an Amarillo Ale, named after the Amarillo hops used in it (floral and citrusy), again a kit from Williams Brewing. This was the first time I brewed outside on my new propane burner, which I love it. Speeds the process up, the house doesn’t smell, no fear of boilovers becoming a sticky kitchen mess, and it just feels right to be outside while brewing.<br /><br />The beer making process is not that difficult, and does not need to be as fussy as some make it seem. You can certainly get very high-tech and precise in measurements and temperatures, or you can just make some beer, man.<br /><br />It goes without saying that keeping things clean is very important. I wash everything well and sanitize with a common homebrew sanitizer. </p><p>Let's brew!</p><p>1. Boil water – My largest pot (for now) holds about three gallons so I brew a concentrated brew and then add water when it’s time to cool before pitching yeast. </p><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/584.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_584.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p>2. Add malt extract – The Williams Brewing kits use liquid malt extract, some use Dry Malt Extract (DME). The key is to dunk the bag of thick, sticky syrup into the boiling water for a bit to loosen it all up before cutting open and pouring into the pot, or probably more sanitary is to squeeze out the syrup and then ladle some hot water into the bag, slosh around and pour out, but we're about to boil for almost an hour so I'm not too worried. Also, it’s best to turn the heat off while adding the malt and stir as constantly as possible so none of the sugary syrup burns on the bottom of the pot.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/585.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_585.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><br />3. Boil away – After bring the pot back to a boil keep an eye on the heat level, this is when things can easily bowl over. If it starts to, just lower the heat quickly and stir is up. The hot malted liquid is called wort. The boil usually lasts about 60 minutes, during which time you will add some flavor and bitterness via the hops.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/586.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_586.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Malty goodness</span></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/588.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_588.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Mid brew reading</span></p><br />4. Add hops – Depending on the beer, there will be different types and amounts of hops used. This particular beer used Amarillo hopes. The first round goes in after a few minutes of cooking the malt – these are the flavor hops. More hops are added close to the end of the boil, the aroma hops, that don’t really affect the bitterness of the beer, but add nice floral hoppy aroma to the finished product. I never knew it about myself until brewing some Pale Ale with my friend, but I’m quite the hop fan. This beer is nicely balanced, but I think the next brew will head back towards the heavy hop additions.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/589.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_589.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Hops go in </span></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/590.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_590.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Boiling away </span></p><br /><p>5. Cool the wort – You want to cool the hot wort as quickly as possible. Our next step will be to add the yeast, but anything too hot will kill the yeast off immediately. The goal is to get the wort down to below 80 degrees, and to do it fast. There are a ton of wort chilling devises out there, and likely one day I will have one, but at this point I just put it in a giant ice bath and added more ice as it melted. It took about 30-35 minutes to get the temp down. You want to chill quickly to avoid any possible bacterial infections at this vulnerable stage. </p><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/591.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_591.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">Ice Bath</span></p><p><br />6. Add yeast – Once the temp is down, transfer the cooled wort to your fermenting container – I just use a five gallon bucket, a larger one would be ideal, but these are cheap. You can now pitch (add) your yeast to the brew and seal it up. The Williams kit comes with Wyeast activator pack yeast. A day or so before brewing, you pop an interior pouch inside the bigger bag of yeast that feeds the yeast and gets them all excited for the upcoming feast. Each packet contains over 1 billion yeast. Go get ‘em guys!<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_EAbvsVKpwih9i_3QGNDKeDHymXty1yUwkiiMXZtIc1Z6mk0JwS1ZlD8eqghq4gHCR1hyjKMj2RiyYzbDk9U3Fyytnx_WOVs0NYbo-eGlMn4G_UtOJzLslAZDfqlFB_S2JGQb27Eo7tE/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403271943771384770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_EAbvsVKpwih9i_3QGNDKeDHymXty1yUwkiiMXZtIc1Z6mk0JwS1ZlD8eqghq4gHCR1hyjKMj2RiyYzbDk9U3Fyytnx_WOVs0NYbo-eGlMn4G_UtOJzLslAZDfqlFB_S2JGQb27Eo7tE/s320/photo.jpg" /></a><br />7. Seal, lock, ferment – Time to seal the fermenter, and add an airlock. The airlock allows CO2 produced from yeast eating the sugar to escape the container without anything else getting back it. Plus it’s cool to hear the airlock bubble away, knowing those billions of yeasties are converting all that sugary malt into alcohol.<br /><br />8. Wait – one of the hardest parts of the process. If you were hardcore, you would be taking hydrometer readings of the chilled wort, and then later on to determine the specific gravity and alcohol content of the beer. But at the end of the day, does it really matter what the alcohol content by volume of your homebrew is? If you do everything basically right, it should be right around the level it was supposed to be (profound, I know). You’ll know if it’s high or low when you drink it after all. For me, I just wait. About 12 days to two weeks is good. Sure, without taking the readings, I don’t know 100% that fermentation is 100% complete, but I’m fairly confident it is. I also didn’t bother transferring to a secondary fermenter which would help the final product be a bit more clear. But again, who cares if your homebrew is perfectly clear?<br /><br />9. Crash – After you’ve waited out fermentation, you want to chill the beer down to serving temp, or around 40 degrees. This will help any remaining suspended particles settle before the final transfer.<br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/592.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_592.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><p align="left"><br />10. Keg – at this point you can bottle or keg your beer. I had planned to bottle originally, and had many nice friends saving their beer bottles for me. But thanks to another friend (turns out I’m lucky to have rad friends with cool hobbies to help me out) I was able to borrow a keg setup and bypassed the whole messy bottling step. After the beer is fully fermented and crashed, transfer via siphon to the clean and sanitized keg.<br /></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/593.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_593.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/594.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_594.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/595.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_595.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><p>11. Carbonate – There are a couple of ways to do this. We could have mixed a sugar solution into the fermented beer before transferring it to the keg and let it naturally carbonate, which can take a few weeks, or you can force carbonate using CO2. Again, when force carbonating there are a few options – crank the gas up, shake the keg, let it settle, shake again, repeat etc. until well carbonated - or set the gas to the right serving level and leave it alone for a week or so. I do something in between these – shake a little gas in, let it sit, shake once or twice more, set the gas to around 10-12 psi and leave it alone for a few days. As it conditions in the keg, it will just get better and better. </p><p>12. Drink and Enjoy! – This part is pretty self explanatory, easy, and quite rewarding. You'll need to adjust the pressure on the gas for serving. For this brew, with my gas in the fridge with the keg, I've found a low pressure (around 7 psi) produces a nice beer with good head retention without excess foaming.<br /><br />I left out some nitty-gritty details here and there, but overall, while the process takes time, it’s really not that difficult. I’m sure you could work harder at it, and in some ways I probably will as I take on new recipes etc. but overall, just jump in there, enjoy the process and relish in your good works.<br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/596.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/06/s_596.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Ideally, serve in Grandpa's old gold-rim glasses</span></p>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-64685639029825423262009-11-05T13:38:00.000-08:002009-11-06T15:53:39.818-08:00Breakfast Fun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12a2zUFjyhPrs9GSsoef0z92TprVTftl4mHUSTo56pf9ZzAJuc4BMgUeaALz4A2JWRcntGjYYi4pDfHxidvyc1rh2fXNj0Ll6W2ewHIc7PMEBo4uXUpAZ71ZOp_yZbsqE3EmwKbavI_jM/s1600-h/IMG_6764.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400851977800925426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12a2zUFjyhPrs9GSsoef0z92TprVTftl4mHUSTo56pf9ZzAJuc4BMgUeaALz4A2JWRcntGjYYi4pDfHxidvyc1rh2fXNj0Ll6W2ewHIc7PMEBo4uXUpAZ71ZOp_yZbsqE3EmwKbavI_jM/s320/IMG_6764.JPG" /></a><br /><br />We like pancakes and we like playing with our food.<br /><br />Plus I wanted to test mobile publishing to Blogger.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/05/461.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/05/s_461.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></center><br /><center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/05/462.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/05/s_462.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA42Ulal-S6VrAy4bPDSArZJjSwMfIqeMDilXjxMxVzKF1GLb6-OhZWwjBSxTfdiodgNvgn1wATbiyBW14w1bueLCFkAzCkHnsejK5yeU6Bd18r1KOh_4ULhS5-1E9i_4rS0-oYx28Tz9F/s1600-h/IMG_6767.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400851983417032386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA42Ulal-S6VrAy4bPDSArZJjSwMfIqeMDilXjxMxVzKF1GLb6-OhZWwjBSxTfdiodgNvgn1wATbiyBW14w1bueLCFkAzCkHnsejK5yeU6Bd18r1KOh_4ULhS5-1E9i_4rS0-oYx28Tz9F/s320/IMG_6767.JPG" /></a></center><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsf1YDQnJVofWK9H0R_PSAneePta_qODE5EZEtNrvP5UrN_xyO2MytWUe86BHxIJJaQVNodZEE_0Kwv_kb02Px39FIp_O5b-6LOLtS4-2RM5IA0AcAzr-RBN1FWOedgl8aA0ab0eGoi9vi/s1600-h/IMG_6765.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400851968108266834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsf1YDQnJVofWK9H0R_PSAneePta_qODE5EZEtNrvP5UrN_xyO2MytWUe86BHxIJJaQVNodZEE_0Kwv_kb02Px39FIp_O5b-6LOLtS4-2RM5IA0AcAzr-RBN1FWOedgl8aA0ab0eGoi9vi/s320/IMG_6765.JPG" /></a><br /><center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/05/463.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 5px" border="0" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/09/11/05/s_463.jpg" width="210" height="281" /></a></center><br /><br />- mobile updateEthanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-84589539895551715562009-09-27T09:20:00.000-07:002009-09-27T09:43:48.209-07:00Impromptu Pizza Night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrGHCJ9V7fcJEsUO3-OIJRBhJv9ipp-m6hNjb0aRxmeD1f_KokxromB9AFiZ_YYzzOksSHLI0ICerM2y4POEIB2lsTe6hNOJtsXqUY6ez59cdKAdGozOaQKRo5Zoooc_WLriEIr4wtWbn/s1600-h/IMG_6758.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrGHCJ9V7fcJEsUO3-OIJRBhJv9ipp-m6hNjb0aRxmeD1f_KokxromB9AFiZ_YYzzOksSHLI0ICerM2y4POEIB2lsTe6hNOJtsXqUY6ez59cdKAdGozOaQKRo5Zoooc_WLriEIr4wtWbn/s400/IMG_6758.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386188210948184818" border="0" /></a><br />I like when dinner comes together easily. That transition from wondering what the heck to make and eat, to <span style="font-style: italic;">a ha</span>! Last night was one of those nights. I was putting together the shopping list and menu for the week and could not decide what to make that night. Nothing was sounding good. Because of the <a href="http://milkandcartoons.blogspot.com/2009/08/curing-jacks-eczema.html">diet restrictions for J</a>, we have not had much bread or cheese in our lives lately, which of course is missed. J has been doing so well that we have decided to start slowly introducing these things back into his diet, and happily it has been going very well. We have found that he does better with natural, local sourdough than commercial yeast, so we will be sticking to that - which is fine with us.<br /><br />So after struggling to decide what to make, my <span style="font-style: italic;">a ha</span> moment came - pizza! I had a sourdough dough ball in the freezer, tomatoes and basil in the <a href="http://brakeforbread.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-does-your-garden-grow.html">garden</a>, and just enough cheese in the fridge to pull it all together. I set the dough out to defrost, picked some pizza perfect San Marzano tomatoes, a bunch of basil, and got to it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqKa4Jtqv72mkZkSMGj7p1xWIiQitBjPJz_PzYF8KMQtYZX7pgfIr-CCf5V7TwmFHOTYLWPs775bzxkLBmJzjbXVu-NEmg29m1iRK3ymkfFIrFmrRt33-0GfPInJ2fXSmF81LrAZ6L-uP/s1600-h/IMG_6742.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqKa4Jtqv72mkZkSMGj7p1xWIiQitBjPJz_PzYF8KMQtYZX7pgfIr-CCf5V7TwmFHOTYLWPs775bzxkLBmJzjbXVu-NEmg29m1iRK3ymkfFIrFmrRt33-0GfPInJ2fXSmF81LrAZ6L-uP/s400/IMG_6742.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386188186722831874" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The sauce was simple, and uncooked. I chopped a few cloves of garlic in the food processor, added about 2-3 cups of chopped tomatoes, a handful of basil, some oregano and rosemary (all the produce came from the garden). Pulse it together for a few seconds with a pinch or two of salt and you're good to go. Fresh, bright and delicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXbL_lCWHwfzCprjXSPah90_tc5Lj8Slt2mtTavhRiLWglpk0XpJrfFbriaDdvYR9coLYGEq-32_21eZj3zFZeGXgT09zLLldfuoX1c3ZFUNfOJEbFOfQkU83rBnu6kz_d9c7eFWCY8hL/s1600-h/IMG_6739.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXbL_lCWHwfzCprjXSPah90_tc5Lj8Slt2mtTavhRiLWglpk0XpJrfFbriaDdvYR9coLYGEq-32_21eZj3zFZeGXgT09zLLldfuoX1c3ZFUNfOJEbFOfQkU83rBnu6kz_d9c7eFWCY8hL/s400/IMG_6739.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386188182154447330" border="0" /></a><br />I only had a small amount of mozzarella on hand, so we relied heavily on some goat's milk pecorino which was nutty and rich and a perfect foil to the sweet tomatoes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupRT1-MUoJ19gvjwnUcTSnZrVlLrUAp5OosBtRf0ZZw_ffEj3aJ-yN3HvRJwAyytP6-ZCSlEBqsbdAs4tcWigRceR5j4i1KHgG7YN8oGG7wdELcC1GR8mRxGniN4cKKJQbA7_ON89W3rQ/s1600-h/IMG_6751.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupRT1-MUoJ19gvjwnUcTSnZrVlLrUAp5OosBtRf0ZZw_ffEj3aJ-yN3HvRJwAyytP6-ZCSlEBqsbdAs4tcWigRceR5j4i1KHgG7YN8oGG7wdELcC1GR8mRxGniN4cKKJQbA7_ON89W3rQ/s400/IMG_6751.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386188199161509570" border="0" /></a><br />Clearly I am not too concerned about perfectly round pizzas. I went low stress, just slap them together, throw them on a hot hot hot baking stone (preheat your oven as hot as it will get for at least 30 minutes). The sourdough crust was good - light, with a little crisp and some airyness. It's not a well charred crust like pizza from a wood fired oven (still on the list of things I covet - and will one day make) but for an impromptu pizza night with the family, it couldn't get much better.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesNUFM77K4-tmkYqC4lB4nB8iUJcLKLL81ZOTMLq8GFuw4FHZoRAXAnML65qsTPuB-rM4NPZ1jfIyfS2sCg3_sw37WSOfrq06Eh_nj4DJZsdjAPZExK3P5it2dNoJ1_Zm4lV1DfSnsz4R/s1600-h/IMG_6759.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesNUFM77K4-tmkYqC4lB4nB8iUJcLKLL81ZOTMLq8GFuw4FHZoRAXAnML65qsTPuB-rM4NPZ1jfIyfS2sCg3_sw37WSOfrq06Eh_nj4DJZsdjAPZExK3P5it2dNoJ1_Zm4lV1DfSnsz4R/s400/IMG_6759.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386188394736696530" border="0" /></a><br />The fun thing about pizza night is that each pizza takes time, they come out of the oven about every ten minutes which is just enough time to pull the previous pie out, cut it up so everyone has a slice and hang out together having fun. By the time you finish your slice, the next pizza is ready. It's always a great way for us to spend some silly time playing and eating with the kids. Now that J is handling some sourdough and cheese, we will definitely be having more pizza night picnics. How could you not want to with <a href="http://ethanruthharperjack.blogspot.com/2009/09/slice-of-life.html">this is how your kids react</a>?Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-8116271876840104632009-08-09T10:41:00.000-07:002009-08-09T13:25:57.701-07:002 Fun Cakes for 1 Fabulous 4 Year Old<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoSCmuDCIaWo8VboYNTVvasbN_vL9CcjdymFDrXj0LEjHh75UN5YtGgTMVH12O9asqSvzOrw9k6kSMmMqylm9o335ZHbVwONdIwAm62NhaIzHSkLHvyc9ATmzXy_k87SklR0SVdaIUwbG/s1600-h/IMG_6318.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoSCmuDCIaWo8VboYNTVvasbN_vL9CcjdymFDrXj0LEjHh75UN5YtGgTMVH12O9asqSvzOrw9k6kSMmMqylm9o335ZHbVwONdIwAm62NhaIzHSkLHvyc9ATmzXy_k87SklR0SVdaIUwbG/s400/IMG_6318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368027579081928098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknV8DKHFzIzGWiPVuiHq_sZEvLcGwt_myF3_nqSi7H0idLXbBowJAIgf7pEyCkJHFE7o7XiJihuo8Tm2vZNPQgr3p-VksY1o_YU7jSMzvauZsep05spFyAk7JsCace9q7j9r9VER17Qol/s1600-h/IMG_6309.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknV8DKHFzIzGWiPVuiHq_sZEvLcGwt_myF3_nqSi7H0idLXbBowJAIgf7pEyCkJHFE7o7XiJihuo8Tm2vZNPQgr3p-VksY1o_YU7jSMzvauZsep05spFyAk7JsCace9q7j9r9VER17Qol/s400/IMG_6309.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368027563103895218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybyowluhX0xcNoLxaHE1Xb_x6TAde80sY-2ZM5IUgCEjSHgsC6LSkZsL7-n4qNI5kZLWX2blRMSoot5st6bxB_wiu_bRm9jdGMe7areUWd6RCcyOpRrJsFVnHPWEpvhHGv-guW88rdL07/s1600-h/IMG_6507.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiybyowluhX0xcNoLxaHE1Xb_x6TAde80sY-2ZM5IUgCEjSHgsC6LSkZsL7-n4qNI5kZLWX2blRMSoot5st6bxB_wiu_bRm9jdGMe7areUWd6RCcyOpRrJsFVnHPWEpvhHGv-guW88rdL07/s400/IMG_6507.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368029799798055554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6sEn1b5W9a7NbfrYu0Y8upYA__dh8J92TBQhlzNTO3pqfHiRHzOH81k7eOO6JUBKoy_QoFHZFSOXgpGE7PMA0s35vRhmJiXsvnWt_YGtOHRQg_JrgJqcyRbZdH6SMJh2FlPiJ4IzPGK8/s1600-h/IMG_6470.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6sEn1b5W9a7NbfrYu0Y8upYA__dh8J92TBQhlzNTO3pqfHiRHzOH81k7eOO6JUBKoy_QoFHZFSOXgpGE7PMA0s35vRhmJiXsvnWt_YGtOHRQg_JrgJqcyRbZdH6SMJh2FlPiJ4IzPGK8/s400/IMG_6470.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368028883542949618" border="0" /></a><br />My big girl is growing up. She is a wonderful, sweet, brilliant, and good little girl and I love her so much. And she <span style="font-style: italic;">deserves</span> wonderful cakes for her birthday. This year we split the parties up to keep things manageable. On her actual birthday, which fell midweek, we had all of the family over.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqE3Yg2aBe93uUmhbIe8cZOiIcVovT9lUJaac1QgXvDWCBjVvifIuz0aZb-BN6CoCAwSS2Wxc6P3o0LuEEX_IOUM85aYeMtDr8IdQhY9DF_eLUaHkj_iJ4u1EsKB29UzprUni0VxCMtyP/s1600-h/IMG_6308.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqE3Yg2aBe93uUmhbIe8cZOiIcVovT9lUJaac1QgXvDWCBjVvifIuz0aZb-BN6CoCAwSS2Wxc6P3o0LuEEX_IOUM85aYeMtDr8IdQhY9DF_eLUaHkj_iJ4u1EsKB29UzprUni0VxCMtyP/s400/IMG_6308.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368027567899139602" border="0" /></a><br />Since most of both of our families live in the area (We MISS you D, M, and E!!!!) our house is just too small to host the family and H's friends together. We did the friend party, which we tried to keep fairly small too, on the weekend for convenience. It also made it easier for all of us to visit with each other during the parties, plus the added bonus - H gets two parties.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHDuKtUKdStHPAQvFrT5GcOMjI06Xsp08hBChN11nRFcJYFBvuSpjwU8TJaD_g-_IdMDBOT4Is_4QdVwoXRwHwbDVR7rFFByvBtAUWa5DtWwfirPu44mPOLDeNZ9VhCHPHrH-r8zpEi2h/s1600-h/IMG_6314.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHDuKtUKdStHPAQvFrT5GcOMjI06Xsp08hBChN11nRFcJYFBvuSpjwU8TJaD_g-_IdMDBOT4Is_4QdVwoXRwHwbDVR7rFFByvBtAUWa5DtWwfirPu44mPOLDeNZ9VhCHPHrH-r8zpEi2h/s400/IMG_6314.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368027574142442098" border="0" /></a><br />There was no particular theme to the family party, just Happy Birthday! to our girl. She specifically asked for a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles. So that is (of course) what she got. I made the basic chocolate layer cake recipe from the America's Test Kitchen Best Recipes cookbook, which is dense and delicious.<br /><br />For a simple, and not oppressively sweet, frosting, I made a <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Stabilized-Whipped-Cream-79506">stabilized whipped cream</a> and used it in between the layers and rusticly swirled on top. And per H's request, the whole thing got a playful dusting of rainbow sprinkles. I thought it ended up as a nice, sophisticated, and tasty cake for a 4 year old.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFKM-ST_7dlFrKYs6KoUutQOubIULY6kfAVCH4AF1n_0-bDtGoc5hEsUmXGWDkPZU7Z6JFeC68Y6qpfIH0qIL2dPZ8KnPntee9l0ylOUQt3CHY7o3-D1qlfT88qrGFPpzHeq29L2SX-Pj/s1600-h/IMG_6521.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFKM-ST_7dlFrKYs6KoUutQOubIULY6kfAVCH4AF1n_0-bDtGoc5hEsUmXGWDkPZU7Z6JFeC68Y6qpfIH0qIL2dPZ8KnPntee9l0ylOUQt3CHY7o3-D1qlfT88qrGFPpzHeq29L2SX-Pj/s400/IMG_6521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368029819693292866" border="0" /></a><br />The friend party had a rainbow theme, so of course I had to play that up in the cake. Quite a while ago I ran across the rainbow cake on <a href="http://www.omnomicon.com/rainbowcake">Omnomicon</a> and ended up using that as inspiration for our cake. I unfortunately ran short on time and ended up using two packages of white cake mix (for shame!), but I would again recommend the America's Test Kitchen, basic white cake recipe if you have more planning time.<br /><br />The process is pretty easy. I mixed up both mixes together and then separated the batter into six bowls. Each was colored with gel food colorings. The gel coloring is key. The liquid is too weak and you would end up having to add so much to get the rich colors that it would be more chemical than cake.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMTZIw5zmmMwVmhqaqEAC7SEwb-EZCC8ERVDPg1f6kCYoiV8E04tG_KTWsUyFbp5twrVqDbRQsR8vnOxS3H7AhyMDe8bvgiHYRnpTNQoRqzYfUQCbQNBz_KlBMQGUQKniGL2HgA-0JO1n/s1600-h/IMG_6449.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMTZIw5zmmMwVmhqaqEAC7SEwb-EZCC8ERVDPg1f6kCYoiV8E04tG_KTWsUyFbp5twrVqDbRQsR8vnOxS3H7AhyMDe8bvgiHYRnpTNQoRqzYfUQCbQNBz_KlBMQGUQKniGL2HgA-0JO1n/s400/IMG_6449.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368028853256277378" border="0" /></a><br />Once you have your rainbow of batters ready to go, start with one of the two cake pans and pour the first three colors (Red, Orange, Yellow) into the center of the pan. Pour half of the red into the center of the pan, then half of the orange right on top of the red, and then half of the yellow right on top of the orange. As you pour each color, the one below will spread out and you'll have concentric circles of color.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOZblBR_x3_T0gsWFDpXNirh2vDgrtT5ez_HIAFoRxtW2I8gYwh3HGZGNV-IBGTEAjfzMyiPW4hthm05j-zfzVub1Y8tIRiUumntdRQAPWPo0zCSghFsYadhviNDBg9c2DZJm8lu3g3HO/s1600-h/IMG_6460.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOZblBR_x3_T0gsWFDpXNirh2vDgrtT5ez_HIAFoRxtW2I8gYwh3HGZGNV-IBGTEAjfzMyiPW4hthm05j-zfzVub1Y8tIRiUumntdRQAPWPo0zCSghFsYadhviNDBg9c2DZJm8lu3g3HO/s400/IMG_6460.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368028862066945202" border="0" /></a><br />After you pour the first three colors in, start the other pan going in the opposite direction (Purple, Blue, Green). You end up seeing more of the center color when baked , so it's nice to switch the order up to have a good color spread. It also helps to start the second pan after only doing three in the first pan so that the two pans end up with the same amount of batter in case your guess at "half" was a bit off. Finish off both pans with the colors in the order (or reverse order) of the rainbow, then bake away. I used two mixes, but only two pans, so it took longer than the box direction to bake all the way through. Just bake until a cake tester comes out clean.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIkd2LELT_giM_PA-qN79G89MFWkwsf_ibDuLuckPvpTf6Pgde2mFB2SezGsiEd6UPu_uQDesotTamTp2C9wQmV7oTj1rUj0HXrXVWE2VTTizCW2zvnXWH5H2C6VB1VeHJl2vkKxAYe2X/s1600-h/IMG_6450.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIkd2LELT_giM_PA-qN79G89MFWkwsf_ibDuLuckPvpTf6Pgde2mFB2SezGsiEd6UPu_uQDesotTamTp2C9wQmV7oTj1rUj0HXrXVWE2VTTizCW2zvnXWH5H2C6VB1VeHJl2vkKxAYe2X/s400/IMG_6450.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368028873293280946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1d8GsCUY4HvDAXsm69392e6_TufGntLV5cBttLaeSyUfCEm_e52D9flf5E0OQTscn7qyF4arW1ym2lbj9KbAfD764_5xN9KyMLwG4v3McJYjeIHSjHpXZZ_73bruiWKwaDQSCeZCRZFD5/s1600-h/IMG_6451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1d8GsCUY4HvDAXsm69392e6_TufGntLV5cBttLaeSyUfCEm_e52D9flf5E0OQTscn7qyF4arW1ym2lbj9KbAfD764_5xN9KyMLwG4v3McJYjeIHSjHpXZZ_73bruiWKwaDQSCeZCRZFD5/s400/IMG_6451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368028874911786002" border="0" /></a><br />After the cakes cool, put a very thin layer of frosting on the cake. This is going to help the fondant stay on. What? Did you say fondant? Yes, I finally tried to make some fondant and get all schmancy. As you can tell, it didn't come out as perfectly as I had envisioned (Damn you, Ace of Cakes, for making this look so easy!) but it was still fun.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPlZOeSA3SjAgN4p28DfcPUxiNGRjtssW7Efc3JBrAHu80y6j2nSJw77dh7xmdm9bhnt1-Km6KQqdMK5q_pQA6WV4qCSWDUzQWJ3SwZdM3Sd6lrpf5fsryYsarScSLHrQNmDrBpMOA6ex/s1600-h/IMG_6466.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnPlZOeSA3SjAgN4p28DfcPUxiNGRjtssW7Efc3JBrAHu80y6j2nSJw77dh7xmdm9bhnt1-Km6KQqdMK5q_pQA6WV4qCSWDUzQWJ3SwZdM3Sd6lrpf5fsryYsarScSLHrQNmDrBpMOA6ex/s400/IMG_6466.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368029796422822498" border="0" /></a><br />I used this <a href="http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/Fondant.htm">Marshmallow Fondant</a> recipe, because it is pretty easy to make, work with and it doesn't taste quite as horrible as most fondants. Follow the instruction, and keep them wrapped in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Take your time and don't roll it too thin or it will tear when you are working with it. I got the whole cake covered at one point but it looked so bad I had to rip it all off, toss it, and start over.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaxyvnoJsKEyFbyDX-zp8tps9ZPKE9Kv5799OB2gGd8y3PeQeEAyCGXdpP_WpsWZeWX6e8lY5QJMYdrOET6Ej1r0OKtePit4J0Vbk3p4gHGQSQcQEnnuZrPhQgLeR8Z_us1ThNwymvoga/s1600-h/IMG_6510.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdaxyvnoJsKEyFbyDX-zp8tps9ZPKE9Kv5799OB2gGd8y3PeQeEAyCGXdpP_WpsWZeWX6e8lY5QJMYdrOET6Ej1r0OKtePit4J0Vbk3p4gHGQSQcQEnnuZrPhQgLeR8Z_us1ThNwymvoga/s400/IMG_6510.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368029807196917186" border="0" /></a><br />I will likely give the marshmallow fondant another try, but get started earlier in the day so I am not so rushed. It is clearly one of those things that you can tell will get much easier each time you do it. Both cakes were a hit with H, which of course is the whole point!Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-4428086716196453142009-07-27T21:14:00.000-07:002009-07-27T21:37:01.394-07:00It's About Time - Back to Daring Bakers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsX6L9w4TleDnw07OckLBnFsb8QWfLR9Q6XtqTYN0zWuF4MvXLo1IEzZ_ISpd6EpoyqcphOAO3EIO8L2aGCHq3erFGngQ_4ZkHTfJ0GzPTlNdpW9vLu7hoR_NaM_7G58fUuRlXIqk61Ya/s1600-h/IMG_6267.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsX6L9w4TleDnw07OckLBnFsb8QWfLR9Q6XtqTYN0zWuF4MvXLo1IEzZ_ISpd6EpoyqcphOAO3EIO8L2aGCHq3erFGngQ_4ZkHTfJ0GzPTlNdpW9vLu7hoR_NaM_7G58fUuRlXIqk61Ya/s400/IMG_6267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363363488990912754" border="0" /></a><br />This summer has been crazy! Weddings, baby showers, new family members, crazy hot, a new swing set for the kids, did I mention - crazy hot? So busy in fact, that I missed last month's <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers'</a> challenge.<br /><br />I almost missed this month's challenge too. I finally made it at about 9 pm on reveal day (that would be tonight). Part of the reason for late night baking is that my son is going through a tough time in terms of what he can eat and is on a pretty restrictive diet. It seems to be helping, but I'll admit it's not a ton of fun: no dairy, no sugar, and no yeast. Yikes! That's rough in our house, but worth it to see him doing better. So I bake my creamy, sugary Daring Baker challenges (aka poison to my son) at night so as not to hurt his feelings by refusing to let him lick the bowl.<br /><br />The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at <a href="http://sweetendingz.blogspot.com/">Sweet Tooth</a>. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the <a href="http://foodnetwork.com/">Food Network</a>.<br /><br />Unfortunately I did not have time to get to the marshmallow cookies, but mark my word, I will blog those in the future. Homemade marshmallow has been on my <span style="font-style: italic;">To Bake</span> list for a very long time.<br /><br />The Milan Cookies come together very quickly, although as of this post, my chocolate has still not firmed up as much as I would like. I'm hoping as they sit, it will. Also, these cookies are definitely different than the Milano cookies you may be expecting. To my taste, these were a bit too egg-whitey. That may just have been my rushing through the recipe and the heat in my kitchen. (Did I mention it's always hot here?) but they weren't quite what I was hoping for.<br /><br />The crushed, roasted and salted pistachios definitely make the cookies something special. The salty crunch they add is key.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPHHS5hoIkspOTl8dBTCX5vFo9d7PgoFZ4tNcRmFnPJmACqY59xjRIfkEfP7pBth9gFonnY6J6wVvuOz0umrMV_v1HILVKC-vjsb5ReXMwxmjXPeqGe1_ephrD-n5RX55XRgJYmuRPqjM/s1600-h/IMG_6277.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPHHS5hoIkspOTl8dBTCX5vFo9d7PgoFZ4tNcRmFnPJmACqY59xjRIfkEfP7pBth9gFonnY6J6wVvuOz0umrMV_v1HILVKC-vjsb5ReXMwxmjXPeqGe1_ephrD-n5RX55XRgJYmuRPqjM/s400/IMG_6277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363363500107686674" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Milan Cookies</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Recipe courtesy Gale Gand, from Food Network.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Prep Time: 20 min</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Inactive Prep Time: 0 min</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Serves: about 3 dozen cookies</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• 12 tablespoons (170grams/ 6 oz) unsalted butter, softened</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/ 11.02 oz) powdered sugar</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• 2 tablespoons lemon extract</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• 1 1/2 cups (187.5grams/ 6.61 oz) all purpose flour</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Cookie filling, recipe follows</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Cookie filling:</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• 1/2 cup heavy cream</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• 1 orange, zested<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">1. In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">4. With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1-inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart as they spread.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the pan.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">6. While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan over medium flame, scald cream.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">7. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate, add zest and blend well.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">8. Set aside to cool (the mixture will thicken as it cools).</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">9. Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and press the flat side of a second cookie on top.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">10. Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjWYlGxcX21P0TCjaMxCfdqa4j6AVkWHuui4k6BTKzQCwq_jao4Y2efWxd_z-mAczLCNPu1Zd4thJfH3SEy0e8LOsZbcilSS30vSp00LD1hQOmpnnEy7UMosJPmSK7oZBc0li61lmaGFy/s1600-h/IMG_6269.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjWYlGxcX21P0TCjaMxCfdqa4j6AVkWHuui4k6BTKzQCwq_jao4Y2efWxd_z-mAczLCNPu1Zd4thJfH3SEy0e8LOsZbcilSS30vSp00LD1hQOmpnnEy7UMosJPmSK7oZBc0li61lmaGFy/s400/IMG_6269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363363504713166562" border="0" /></a>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-5877880905256134102009-07-04T08:48:00.000-07:002009-07-04T09:44:30.348-07:00Sourdough Success!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMldMHorEzxNyCKBtAPBmGNCiCOKF9Af3eAsyLR5YGpUYnl4kdu-eUjrpd7fX1Alj8VKRvXbedji7zYMh0WvalwZJfHlqxGHH5sQpZh682oVOug1zd-7mvhCCm6IYwozYxX2JaPgOwCeUC/s1600-h/IMG_6179.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMldMHorEzxNyCKBtAPBmGNCiCOKF9Af3eAsyLR5YGpUYnl4kdu-eUjrpd7fX1Alj8VKRvXbedji7zYMh0WvalwZJfHlqxGHH5sQpZh682oVOug1zd-7mvhCCm6IYwozYxX2JaPgOwCeUC/s400/IMG_6179.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354639526128919074" border="0" /></a><br />I finally made the move into sourdough. I wanted to start as naturally as possible, so my culture was developed from only flour and water and the natural yeasties in the air. I developed the culture/starter using the method <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/07/13/raising-a-starter/">Susan at Wild Yeast has shared</a> and in fact used her <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/07/08/my-new-favorite-sourdough/">bread recipe</a> as the first one to try. I started the culture last week, and fed it diligently twice a day until it was doubling in 4 hours or less. I then lowered the amount of culture used in each feeding and it still doubled in 4 hours, so I felt it was safe to give it a go.<br /><br />The dough felt a little different while working with it, and I will admit that at times I didn't think it was rising enough. I was worried that I had what looked like at active starter but would end up with hockey puck bread anyway. Lo and behold, the oven spring on this bread was fantastic! I forgot to turn the heat down after putting the loaves in the oven, so they got pretty dark, but the taste was still wonderful. Pleasant crumb structure, slight sour tang. Overall, a success.<br /><br />Next time I will leave the loaves in the oven with the door cracked open like Susan suggests. This time I felt I had to get them out since they were getting so dark. Plus, it's tough to leave the oven open and on when it's 101 degrees outside. I also think they would benefit from spending the night in the fridge after being shaped and before baking. This will bring out a little more of the sour flavor. The sourness should also increase as my starter ages.<br /><br />It was a fun process and much less intimidating than I thought it would be. I had read a lot about the process from all the great bakers who contribute to <a href="http://www.thefreshloaf.com/">The Fresh Loaf</a> and may have information overloaded a bit. In the end, I just sort of fed it as regularly as possible, tried to keep it going, and built it up to the amount I needed for the first bake. I think the culture and starter are actually quite forgiving.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_Gxua803A5WE8f0UCA1QvT9aRGGT7sYy932aT31p-u1M7PAAcvzWWoKs5hnEqttMcbB5ejIbpQX_XDb6kXfSAUx6ZtdtFbi_c23-YR_MOFYP8Kh9THmvJl6tkJ4D3vSHE9vZ-5yRUkrH/s1600-h/IMG_6187.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_Gxua803A5WE8f0UCA1QvT9aRGGT7sYy932aT31p-u1M7PAAcvzWWoKs5hnEqttMcbB5ejIbpQX_XDb6kXfSAUx6ZtdtFbi_c23-YR_MOFYP8Kh9THmvJl6tkJ4D3vSHE9vZ-5yRUkrH/s400/IMG_6187.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354639532938807970" border="0" /></a><br />I am looking forward to trying the whole new world of recipes that are opened up to me now that I have an active and viable starter. In addition to all the loaves of bread, we'll be trying <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2009/02/24/sourdough-pancakes/">sourdough pancakes</a>, <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/09/11/sourdough-english-muffins/">sourdough english muffins</a>.... Mmmmmmmm, carbs.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-49396888444616989602009-06-18T21:22:00.000-07:002009-06-18T21:31:03.943-07:00How Does Your Garden Grow?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8KRZJZ8fSvptbZzIkLpwzgDa5b6RAB39XbfxsbPpnqhgAMJiB6FsXOoQh6ax0_01dB9X9tiizEV6mpnC4nyiW3_Dpyh1lyqol-qR6c0fgQMrujBK7uS99yNAYCRVhaZMT6_6hf0cmtA3/s1600-h/IMG_5905.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8KRZJZ8fSvptbZzIkLpwzgDa5b6RAB39XbfxsbPpnqhgAMJiB6FsXOoQh6ax0_01dB9X9tiizEV6mpnC4nyiW3_Dpyh1lyqol-qR6c0fgQMrujBK7uS99yNAYCRVhaZMT6_6hf0cmtA3/s400/IMG_5905.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348891352879471698" border="0" /></a><br />The squash is off and running. We are harvesting early cherry tomatoes, with many greens coming in behind. I am especially excited about the San Marzanos. With the basil coming up too, we are in store for some great pizzas.<br /><br />We have several squash taking off right now, a pickling cucumber, some broccoli, lettuce still going, lots and lots of beets that need to be eaten, about 8-10 different peppers and a crop of herbs. We also have a pumpkin going nuts on the other side of the yard. Hopefully the kids will be able to carve their own pumpkins for Halloween.<br /><br />I will try to get some in progress shots of the garden - and more harvest shots as well. I still have a lot of work to do, and some trellises to build. It is a fun adventure, with delicious rewards.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-7529004009986227722009-05-28T13:47:00.001-07:002009-05-28T14:19:49.534-07:00A Daring Dough (actually, it was quite easy)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibA5gi0IzSZI6HKL5jnpm7FMcMiflkcnSbRJg5yI74M3z7X-XI9J-fBo966T-FeSJVJrJi66zopRTtZ-NIR5aB7ZXjidSlYsOZgXZnk3S4WuxEXzB-H6mDfDJDZgrLzN1Hs-HRJSQOPb-h/s1600-h/IMG_5755.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibA5gi0IzSZI6HKL5jnpm7FMcMiflkcnSbRJg5yI74M3z7X-XI9J-fBo966T-FeSJVJrJi66zopRTtZ-NIR5aB7ZXjidSlYsOZgXZnk3S4WuxEXzB-H6mDfDJDZgrLzN1Hs-HRJSQOPb-h/s400/IMG_5755.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340985044303737906" border="0" /></a><br />The <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers</a> did it again. They have challenged me to make something that I ended up really enjoying, but never would have attempted on my own. This is why I love being a Daring Baker - I get forced out of my comfort zone, and often, like with this challenge, find out what appears to be a horrible daunting task is quite easy.<br /><br />The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of <a href="http://linda.kovacevic.nl/">make life sweeter!</a> and Courtney of <a href="http://cococooks.blogspot.com/">Coco Cooks</a>. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.<br /><br />Since apples are no longer in prime season here, I opted to do a different filling. I used what I had in the house - which is always a bonus - and ended up with a delicious strudel filling inside a crispy, crackly crust.<br /><br />The idea of making strudel dough was a bit frieghtening when I first learned of this month's challenge. It is a simple dough that gets pulled VERY thin and then wrapped around the filling and baked. I'm talking phyllo thin here. There are definite similarities between the two doughs and it makes me want to find a good phyllo recipe and give that a try. When making strudel at home, many recipes in fact call for using frozen phyllo sheets, but after this month's challenge, I am going to be a regular "from scratch" strudel maker.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_AiAiKEUgnXLib0Dl9qx8fioCs0YTQpQOQsVjnSWaoaPzw9hjkMfzMQeEfXBhkHWEJBabc1-SZk_er_9QjRDX2UxyySxNmK_9jgt1wuBFkkceIvwI-7Mp7SGDA7bx1GRd1mye9mZGY4B/s1600-h/IMG_5744.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_AiAiKEUgnXLib0Dl9qx8fioCs0YTQpQOQsVjnSWaoaPzw9hjkMfzMQeEfXBhkHWEJBabc1-SZk_er_9QjRDX2UxyySxNmK_9jgt1wuBFkkceIvwI-7Mp7SGDA7bx1GRd1mye9mZGY4B/s400/IMG_5744.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340985032449039666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I told you it was thin. The dough is amazingly supple and forgiving however. Easy to work with.</span></span><br /></div><br />For my filling I whipped together cream cheese, almond paste, and finely chopped dark chocolate in the stand mixer (this could easily be done by hand if you let the ingredients come to room temp). I didn't really measure anything. I just threw it all in together, gave it a taste, tossed in a bit more chocolate and called it a strudel. The fun thing about this recipe is that the dough can be filled with just about anything - sweet or savory. I thought about using some organic peaches with the almond paste, but with those I worried they may be a bit too wet. I still may try it, tossing the chopped peaches with a bit of flour and/or cornstarch to bind them up a bit.<br /><br />I'm already thinking about new filling and entire strudel dinners (savory followed by sweet). I know it's a bit cheesy but who cares? this was good.<br /><br />I'm going to post the whole recipe as given to us by the Daring Bakers. This includes the apple filling to make a more traditional Apple Strudel. Of course, you can swap out the filling (as I did) with anything that strikes your fancy, follow the dough and assembly directions and you're good to go.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Apple strudel</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">strudel dough (recipe below)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.</span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qCOVSJd98Zo4o9uxQTf50KPJJMj0pleBiBz-WBUtkpIc5nmpOyi8iII2uoFMKnlTxXZLFGkwcRljSscuCruOSCosTQ2k7tvP21yXaTlI7x7qqhfdvDZv6DHuIZiIOzE05RifCwam-lFf/s1600-h/IMG_5747.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qCOVSJd98Zo4o9uxQTf50KPJJMj0pleBiBz-WBUtkpIc5nmpOyi8iII2uoFMKnlTxXZLFGkwcRljSscuCruOSCosTQ2k7tvP21yXaTlI7x7qqhfdvDZv6DHuIZiIOzE05RifCwam-lFf/s400/IMG_5747.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340985034950768562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The dough gets wrapped on a flour lined cloth so it doesn't stick and tear</span></span></span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8L6noBcyjImU6RW_If1aRHu9RBy0IW2ohHfO1E0oPDGDbRY5rmMAVfS7pHm9rg4eJ9HfP1zKkhOwh7niZ0Z13JTqP5IIHps_lx4KlNgJX1ZVIvxLL31q3m6DOhkD9qF-WYry1Y1a-2_s/s1600-h/IMG_5750.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8L6noBcyjImU6RW_If1aRHu9RBy0IW2ohHfO1E0oPDGDbRY5rmMAVfS7pHm9rg4eJ9HfP1zKkhOwh7niZ0Z13JTqP5IIHps_lx4KlNgJX1ZVIvxLL31q3m6DOhkD9qF-WYry1Y1a-2_s/s400/IMG_5750.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340985039577085570" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:78%;" >The wrapped strudel ready for the oven.</span></span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Strudel dough</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1/8 teaspoon salt</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8m7glyYj9D1VNb_yzaFIrxhKXsk5Br_ZyzU7rkooYn91EPc__0PH3_dtP1xkKE_hfZqq9hcWR_iw5ijGw965bCwUP39GD0-k1ashP4K7uvI8MGVuyOrkVOMrcs0CaCzOugcfOLlONki7t/s1600-h/IMG_5743.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8m7glyYj9D1VNb_yzaFIrxhKXsk5Br_ZyzU7rkooYn91EPc__0PH3_dtP1xkKE_hfZqq9hcWR_iw5ijGw965bCwUP39GD0-k1ashP4K7uvI8MGVuyOrkVOMrcs0CaCzOugcfOLlONki7t/s400/IMG_5743.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340985025868965426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The stretched dough is thin enough to read the recipe through.</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-2417782911480797832009-05-21T07:35:00.000-07:002009-05-21T09:30:45.474-07:00Fresh Spring Rolls with Turkey "Larb"<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338287608356165778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialV-6hvva8aTEe43602GrKo8ndPNC290zQCla4t3PiQNjFfUNYyi8GUxYur_Gy6cnQm_HDhchSRsWY-z8sBSK0t07Cn-VD7kao0gyoqsKK3wR_TtEjkfIliBxnsXcu1I0yWKCqJ3CRVRw/s400/IMG_5653.jpg" /><br />I am a food planner. Once a week I try to put together menus for the whole week so I can shop accordingly and so I don’t have to think too much when I get home from work. It’s nice knowing that I have the ingredients on hand for the planned meals and it gives me the opportunity to plan wisely to reuse leftovers.<br /><br />Too often we’ll make a large portion of a dish, and then after several times eating the leftovers, there is still some that goes to waste. I try to freeze stuff when I can and generally use things up for work lunches, but sometimes you still end up wasting. That’s why I really love planning meals that are designed specifically to use the previous night’s leftovers.<br /><br />Often when we have a taco night, I will plan to make Southwest Style Stuffed Peppers the following day, using the leftovers (meat, beans, rice, salsa, cheese, etc.) from the taco bar. Well this was another one of those meals.<br /><br />The other night we had some <a href="http://fromthefields.blogspot.com/">great</a> <a href="http://largozafamily.blogspot.com">friends</a> over for a visit (and a Laker game) and I put together a Build Your Own Noodle Soup Bar. This was my take on Vietnamese Noodle soup – the same as we used for our post Thanksgiving feast meal. It’s light but still hearty enough to fill you up and it’s just packed with flavor. It truly is one of my favorite meals.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338286790821590818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjoO-VnH9zIGpeie9EgyiHon8ErEu0p89K6_u1uh52D-etTWqUO2EYVTnC6WnRO5y7FercB4K0YiYFtxJDXeJkeeyySzByKYwbxJdj3KqhOD06bHRXQnYCmxeR-xIPsKb_rSsGaud7rBQ/s400/IMG_5645.jpg" /><br />And now, from the leftovers of the noodle soup bar comes another new favorite meal. I think I’m going to call these Phoenix Rolls – out of the ashes of leftovers, rise a terrific and light meal. I still had noodles, herbs, and veggies chopped and ready to go, so I simply made my own version of Turkey Larb (a Lao or Thai flavored dish with ground meat – chicken, pork, turkey, duck – mint, fish sauce, and peppers) and wrapped it all up in fresh spring roll wrappers. If you have never use spring roll wrappers, fear not. They are very forgiving, fun, and the end result is amazing.<br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338287609720866930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1BMNUX44u6Kbv-RvrqxESYRQj_e43s8MHRaEPEGdmhyphenhyphen5gy4oBIh3tgfoBqwM-5PZ2fvIV_1SddCYF5W42AfbxvflI9Su6czMWW1VP56BGaql2r66YQqAUvf6O34zlsPLotHfL8fXyFPt/s400/IMG_5657.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338286794472321394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_reLB7ZpRmB-DwybOwmkAs4qWNY4yDkWn6R8h0tstn-O8GStWWWAWh7wukSkr21CsQeCa85loJhyjd_x2RbsaV2bupSlO5LOwPCgEyeTxLaW6QUjpG8d4iEn61n8Sz6zo8cZw5yTWA_j/s400/IMG_5651.JPG" /><br />I seasoned the meat with garlic, ginger, fish and soy sauce, peppers, lime juice and a handful of chopped mint. The kids loved the meat, and went to town on the spring rolls as well. I was a little surprised, I’ll admit. I didn’t think they would like the texture of the rice paper, but they loved it! They even like the two sauces we served the spring rolls with – a sweet chili sauce, and a very tangy fish sauce based dip. Again, quite surprised by how much the kids liked it.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Turkey Larb<br /></strong></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1 lb. ground turkey (you can easily swap out chicken or pork as well)<br />3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed<br />1” knob of ginger, minced<br />Peppers – I used one jalapeno because I had it from the night before, but Thai chilies or anything according to your desired level of heat would work.<br />Juice of 1 lime<br />Hearty splash of both soy sauce and fish sauce<br />Handful of chopped mint<br /><br />Sauté the garlic and ginger in some olive oil over medium heat in a large pan for 30 seconds to a minute. Don’t let the garlic burn. Add the ground turkey, turn the heat up a bit, and break the meat up while it cooks. You want to cook the meat all the way through, getting rid of any pink color and break it up into as small of pieces as possible. When the meat is almost done, add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cook together until meat is cooked through.<br /><br /><strong>Fresh Spring Rolls<br /></strong><br />Rice paper wrappers<br />Turkey Larb<br />Cooked rice noodles<br />Shredded/Julienned veggies – I had leftover carrot, cabbage, celery, radish, jalapeno, and mung bean sprouts<br />Fresh herbs – I like a combo of (and had leftover) Thai basil, cilantro, and mint<br /><br />Soak a wrapper is hot water that has cooled enough for you to be able to put your fingers in it. I use a pyrex pie dish for this. Feel the wrapper as it softens, once all the stiffness is gone, take it out of the wrapper and spread it open on a cutting board. Put down a layer of the larb, and add a little of each of the other ingredients. You want a good mix, but don’t overfill it or the wrapper will tear. I try to place one of the herb leaves strategically so that it shows nicely through the wrapper after rolling. To roll, bring the top of the wrapper over the filling and tuck in tightly. Next, bring in the side like you would for a burrito and then roll the whole thing closed. It takes a bit of practice to get a nice tight roll without tearing the wrapper but it’s really not that hard.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338286801249595154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvAJ64lD27oFm5ZOMOLN7zJ-u4YJhdwBkff-iflquBpsKpvltPOziGn9sQd370jL1ZowX5xzoCIROmjnEXaQ0xbKIiYXiv75_AEF1N6nWvp8mo0CQQvb5AiNcS5Oo3GY4mcQK5Xl-aVcN/s400/IMG_5652.JPG" /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338286789843180866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mfOX7WT4jC61cdbu18pbsud62MQxTFUBSebfcnBNuKOLtNgi-QfCffZlAFv-ZQVroAm86vMFNntMugnsTY469OicVQUr43yjEB0lsttBHwV-PnyGwa0HPMmNcnDFp4Kk_TtPtaSLTEj8/s400/IMG_5647.JPG" /></span></p><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><strong>Sauces</strong><br /><br />I use a store bought sweet chili sauce because I love it. But I also made another tangy sauce to go with it. This is really based on taste and can be adjusted to your liking.<br /><br />In a small bowl mix some finely minced peppers, with some fish sauce, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. I use about a 1:2:3 ratio respectively. If it is a little too sour/tart/fishy for you, add a bit of brown sugar or honey and mix that in until dissolved.<br /><br />This sauce goes really well with the freshness of the rolls and is a nice foil to the sweet chili sauce.</span><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338286785863706354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaunrgBGr5ndFsnvWF7hrw1fJa8HAfvNHh1aLx86pDGyonh1IgkkDpExMrmp0k-Yu44aRFaVWC2QOXIPMTPKc6hJSkuYYZXKZGZgC9QefEJ_WEcu8NqF5hXjjjxfwDg7ru8oFgzBW5ApRb/s400/IMG_5640.JPG" />Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-73966434830238024572009-05-13T21:31:00.000-07:002009-05-13T22:12:47.207-07:00Salt and Pepper Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Fennel Pollen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4Y3zrJgQpeHk79s2nLQRobGccVWpRpH9HaVg-ZnrVcOXQ4ZvKPLRXOQni_5kkabmJzdi6DX0ghAHr6f5Pzy9xIUg8U0_w7_pXJzriI-GG0HXmXMzSfDsfNfU7BZUxuNqMkyW0hf6S7Pl/s1600-h/IMG_5558.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4Y3zrJgQpeHk79s2nLQRobGccVWpRpH9HaVg-ZnrVcOXQ4ZvKPLRXOQni_5kkabmJzdi6DX0ghAHr6f5Pzy9xIUg8U0_w7_pXJzriI-GG0HXmXMzSfDsfNfU7BZUxuNqMkyW0hf6S7Pl/s400/IMG_5558.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335539478492612658" border="0" /></a><br />Because one can never be a part of too many food blogging groups/challenges, I give you the first ever <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Cooks</a> challenge! Sprung forth from the minds of the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers</a> creators, we now have a similar group who will be challenged with recipes that fall into the "cooking" rather than "baking" category. I was excited to join when they announced the formation of the group and I was excited when I saw the first recipe: Ricotta Gnocchi from the <a href="http://www.zunicafe.com/">Zuni Cafe</a> cookbook.<br /><br />Now that said, I have some sad news...I hated the inaugural recipe. It doesn't make sense either. I love the cookbook it was taken from, I love the dish in theory (I've raved about a <a href="http://brakeforbread.blogspot.com/2009/02/homemade-ricotta-gnocchi_21.html">different version</a> already), and I love the Daring Bakers, from whence this whole thing originated. So how is it that the first ever challenge from the Daring Cooks was a big fail for me?<br /><br />My main theory is that I am a very different cook than I am a baker. I was a cook long before being bitten by the baking bug and it comes much more naturally to me. I grew up around great cooks, eating great savory meals. Don't get me wrong, there were some great desserts in there too, but the focus was almost always on the savory side of the kitchen. I inherited my cooking instincts from those around me and learned at a fairly young age to <span style="font-style: italic;">cook by feel</span>. I don't get worried if I don't have recipes, and I am comfortable taking a look in the pantry, fridge, and garden and coming up with a pretty darn decent meal.<br /><br />On the baking side however, I am largely at the mercy of a good recipe. That is changing slowly, but I still use recipes for most of my breads and sweets. I just don't have the science side of baking down quite the way I do with cooking.<br /><br />The other issue is that, for being as into food as I am, I have a few quirky picky eater issues - many of them particularly odd considering how long I was a vegetarian. Given these quirks and my own inclination to not follow recipes while I cook, I may find myself struggling with Daring Cook challenges in the future. Of course, the whole point is to challenge yourself, and I do look forward to that aspect of the adventure.<br /><br />Getting back to this particular recipe, I will share it with you, but I encourage you to go and try this <a href="http://brakeforbread.blogspot.com/2009/02/homemade-ricotta-gnocchi_21.html">one</a> instead. The gnocchi from the Zuni Cafe recipe are just too soft and pillowy for my liking. Now some may be way into that, and if that is what works for you, then by all means. I liked a tad more bite to the version I've made in the past which are still quite soft and luxurious.<br /><br />The even bigger issue here is that the Zuni Cafe version is much fussier. You have to be very delicate with the batter/dough (hence the extreme pillowiness) and it takes quite a bit longer to form and handle. The older version is really a very quick meal - Zuni Cafe version, not so much.<br /><br />All was not lost however on this challenge. I quite liked the sauce I made to go with the gnocchi and I think I will use it with fresh pasta in the future. It was very simple: butter, slightly caramelized shallot, fried sage, sea salt, fresh pepper and a dusting of fennel pollen. This of course was made up on a whim - the whole <span style="font-style: italic;">cooking by feel</span> thing. By the way, go out and get yourself some fennel pollen, one of my new favorite things in life. In fact, Ru said the bites with fennel really saved the dish.<br /><br />At the end of the day however, I just don't get it. I love the Zuni Cafe cookbook, and I think Judy Rodgers is brilliant, but for my tastes, these were not the most amazing ricotta gnocchi I've made or eaten.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeF7nvCXnwIM5ZGx2AZtK-aETuhdzBkMiojyMuVg1brk43y_sOPxqsAYcVWHPWGtsp9BjYLxU0m_ElWYWdYULNqO1-1dd7AKryRAMRB1v78KW6NF5ZsyESmnPlE1hzYj8LH5Z1r3AnDRsq/s1600-h/IMG_5548.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeF7nvCXnwIM5ZGx2AZtK-aETuhdzBkMiojyMuVg1brk43y_sOPxqsAYcVWHPWGtsp9BjYLxU0m_ElWYWdYULNqO1-1dd7AKryRAMRB1v78KW6NF5ZsyESmnPlE1hzYj8LH5Z1r3AnDRsq/s400/IMG_5548.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335539468598695666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fresh ricotta whipped and ready to go</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Zuni Ricotta Gnocchi</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Source: From The </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.zunicafe.com/">Zuni Café</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> Cookbook</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Yield: Makes 40 to 48 gnocchi (serves 4 to 6)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Prep time: Step 1 will take 24 hours. Steps 2 through 4 will take 1 hour.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Equipment required:</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Sieve</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Cheesecloth or paper towels</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Large mixing bowl</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Rubber spatula</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Tablespoon</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Baking dish or baking sheet</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Wax or parchment paper</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Small pot</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Large skillet</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">• Large pan or pot (very wide in diameter and at least 2 inches deep)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">For the gnocchi:</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1 pound fresh ricotta (2 cups)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2 large cold eggs, lightly beaten</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1 tablespoon unsalted butter</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2 or 3 fresh sage leaves, or a few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg, or a few pinches of chopped lemon zest (all optional)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">½ ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about ¼ cup very lightly packed)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">about ¼ teaspoon salt (a little more if using kosher salt)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">all-purpose flour for forming the gnocchi</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">For the gnocchi sauce:</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">8 tablespoons butter, sliced</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2 teaspoons water</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Step 1 (the day before you make the gnocchi): Preparing the ricotta.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">If the ricotta is too wet, your gnocchi will not form properly. In her cookbook, Judy Rodgers recommends checking the ricotta’s wetness. To test the ricotta, take a teaspoon or so and place it on a paper towel. If you notice a very large ring of dampness forming around the ricotta after a minute or so, then the ricotta is too wet. To remove some of the moisture, line a sieve with cheesecloth or paper towels and place the ricotta in the sieve. Cover it and let it drain for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can wrap the ricotta carefully in cheesecloth (2 layers) and suspend it in your refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours with a bowl underneat to catch the water that’s released. Either way, it’s recommended that you do this step the day before you plan on making the gnocchi.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Step 2 (the day you plan on eating the gnocchi): Making the gnocchi dough.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">To make great gnocchi, the ricotta has to be fairly smooth. Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl and mash it as best as you can with a rubber spatula or a large spoon (it’s best to use a utensil with some flexibility here). As you mash the ricotta, if you noticed that you can still see curds, then press the ricotta through a strainer to smooth it out as much as possible.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Add the lightly beaten eggs to the mashed ricotta.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Melt the tablespoon of butter. As it melts, add in the sage if you’re using it. If not, just melt the butter and add it to the ricotta mixture.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Add in any flavouring that you’re using (i.e., nutmeg, lemon zest, etc.). If you’re not using any particular flavouring, that’s fine.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnY7hEhifmqEgeJZRu0LVYXyKikncidyJuES_FKg8PGmNL0h-NWi3SKL8dgL_IlJrWsaGEetjsHAQIaluGKW6-MK1PM16lF4VyTXudGJ7f9HR05WCj2A-5L-k_ZFqfN-28fKt4G0zQc2R/s1600-h/IMG_5550.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnY7hEhifmqEgeJZRu0LVYXyKikncidyJuES_FKg8PGmNL0h-NWi3SKL8dgL_IlJrWsaGEetjsHAQIaluGKW6-MK1PM16lF4VyTXudGJ7f9HR05WCj2A-5L-k_ZFqfN-28fKt4G0zQc2R/s400/IMG_5550.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335539474411368034" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the salt.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Beat all the ingredients together very well. You should end up with a soft and fluffy better with no streaks (everything should be mixed in very well).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Step 3: Forming the gnocchi.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. When it boils, salt the water generously and keep it at a simmer. You will use this water to test the first gnocchi that you make to ensure that it holds together and that your gnocchi batter isn’t too damp.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">In a large, shallow baking dish or on a sheet pan, make a bed of all-purpose flour that’s ½ an inch deep.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">With a spatula, scrape the ricotta mixture away from the sides of the bowl and form a large mass in the centre of your bowl.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Using a tablespoon, scoop up about 2 to 3 teaspoons of batter and then holding the spoon at an angle, use your finger tip to gently push the ball of dough from the spoon into the bed of flour.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6S9V9AaF7-1vtnppAF9zoym-dGk8msQG4zuAz9K7x6e4I5WmKvRrVhUf65SkxwwWCGnMU70Vn7QSkGzHdHmEGD0ljaRXRojGkkWpiKXR2QDJQCogKQ-y7v3RAmIZT7pg8mG6NVYo-mgr/s1600-h/IMG_5553.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6S9V9AaF7-1vtnppAF9zoym-dGk8msQG4zuAz9K7x6e4I5WmKvRrVhUf65SkxwwWCGnMU70Vn7QSkGzHdHmEGD0ljaRXRojGkkWpiKXR2QDJQCogKQ-y7v3RAmIZT7pg8mG6NVYo-mgr/s400/IMG_5553.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335539476408561490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">At this point you can either shake the ban gently to ensure that the flour covers the gnocchi or use your fingers to very gently dust the gnocchi with flour. Gently pick up the gnocchi and cradle it in your hand rolling it to form it in an oval as best as you can, at no point should you squeeze it. What you’re looking for is an oval lump of sorts that’s dusted in flour and plump.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Gently place your gnocchi in the simmering water. It will sink and then bob to the top. From the time that it bobs to the surface, you want to cook the gnocchi until it’s just firm. This could take 3 to 5 minutes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">If you’re gnocchi begins to fall apart, this means that the ricotta cheese was probably still too wet. You can remedy this by beating a teaspoon of egg white into your gnocchi batter. If you’re gnocchi batter was fluffy but the sample comes out heavy, add a teaspoon of beaten egg to the batter and beat that in. Test a second gnocchi to ensure success.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Form the rest of your gnocchi. You can put 4 to 6 gnocchi in the bed of flour at a time. But don’t overcrowd your bed of flour or you may damage your gnocchi as you coat them.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Have a sheet pan ready to rest the formed gnocchi on. Line the sheet pan with wax or parchment paper and dust it with flour.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGKcFRYpqSYmmEJgUN6fAP77-CnUSASP74rel1KUgs08CQiL5oZ7GpzQxhXxu-4b7XtKgyzWEuYyajEWWCr8YP9u2cWKpvQR4M-H_YRXoc5rdfaDhiXb5WtR4MTD8rm0F1VQJuDtzumLr/s1600-h/IMG_5556.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGKcFRYpqSYmmEJgUN6fAP77-CnUSASP74rel1KUgs08CQiL5oZ7GpzQxhXxu-4b7XtKgyzWEuYyajEWWCr8YP9u2cWKpvQR4M-H_YRXoc5rdfaDhiXb5WtR4MTD8rm0F1VQJuDtzumLr/s400/IMG_5556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335539485151795618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">You can cook the gnocchi right away, however, Judy Rodgers recommends storing them in the refrigerator for an hour prior to cooking to allow them to firm up.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Step 4: Cooking the gnocchi.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Have a large skillet ready to go. Place the butter and water for the sauce in the skillet and set aside.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">In the largest pan or pot that you have (make sure it’s wide), bring at least 2 quarts of water to a boil (you can use as much as 3 quarts of water if your pot permits). You need a wide pot or pan so that your gnocchi won’t bump into each other and damage each other.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Once the water is boiling, salt it generously.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Drop the gnocchi into the water one by one. Once they float to the top, cook them for 3 to 5 minutes (as in the case with the test gnocchi).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">When the gnocchi float to the top, you can start your sauce while you wait for them to finish cooking.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Place the skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Swirl it gently a few times as it melts. As soon as it melts and is incorporated with the water, turn off the heat. Your gnocchi should be cooked by now.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">With a slotted spoon, remove the gnocchi from the boiling water and gently drop into the butter sauce. Carefully roll in the sauce until coated. Serve immediately.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">*If you don’t want to cook your gnocchi right away or if you don’t want to cook all of them, you can make them and freeze them. Once they are formed and resting on the flour-dusted, lined tray, place them uncovered in the freezer. Leave them for several hours to freeze. Once frozen, place them in a plastic bag. Remove the air and seal the bag. Return to the freezer. To cook frozen gnocchi, remove them from the bag and place individually on a plate or on a tray. Place in the refrigerator to thaw completely. Cook as directed for fresh gnocchi.</span><br /></span>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-65684550492404655262009-05-11T21:07:00.000-07:002009-05-13T22:20:59.222-07:00Rustic Candied Walnut Loaf<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77KG3rtPPXWtkIXb-NZA6H2BnBMLZTq1IBIT8O9nS0n6eoKvlELN2f-oTwHg-gMD5QL3QfhT1ch4l9MxBJZfxNWymBxVobgcdHvf95cdnRxV3bfnW2xzP4SKahgB-8OcI2A0zRrvzoazu/s1600-h/IMG_5218.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77KG3rtPPXWtkIXb-NZA6H2BnBMLZTq1IBIT8O9nS0n6eoKvlELN2f-oTwHg-gMD5QL3QfhT1ch4l9MxBJZfxNWymBxVobgcdHvf95cdnRxV3bfnW2xzP4SKahgB-8OcI2A0zRrvzoazu/s400/IMG_5218.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334787883173173474" border="0" /></a><br />Sometimes you need some "stuff" in your bread. I'm usually not a huge fan of bread with chunks of stuff in it, but I felt it was time to finally give a loaf a try. I came across a recipe for Caramelized Walnut Bread and knew it was the one to experiment with.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH1rXiSAkvnTX6ebkzbniPJ0ctdnOKR_UIVgovpqM22Cxutbaa1b5OnOHoMRsP3SgFqt8Jd1mGNLT6eBJhfTRV7rgmAHcrmH_6mu6NHtJY-xwvmPRH4iSIpEyR1Jat-JU-ZTG6HUnTlDI/s1600-h/IMG_5202.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuH1rXiSAkvnTX6ebkzbniPJ0ctdnOKR_UIVgovpqM22Cxutbaa1b5OnOHoMRsP3SgFqt8Jd1mGNLT6eBJhfTRV7rgmAHcrmH_6mu6NHtJY-xwvmPRH4iSIpEyR1Jat-JU-ZTG6HUnTlDI/s400/IMG_5202.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334787876896497890" border="0" /></a><br />It's a very hearty bread with a fair amount of rye and whole wheat flour in it. Along with the candied walnuts, it's a very satisfying slice. I whipped up some butter with orange zest and honey to spread on the bread which was a fantastic addition.<br /><br />I could obviously still use some work on my bread scoring, and I slightly over floured the top of the bread, but it was delicious non the less. This bread utilizes an overnight preferment, so plan ahead. But that also means it will last several days and still taste great.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Caramelized Walnut Bread</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Adapted from <a href="http://www.cookingbread.com/index.html">cookingbread.com</a></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Ingredients</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The night before:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/2 cup bread flour</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/2 cup dark rye</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/2 cup lukewarm water</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/4 teaspoon instant yeast</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Day of:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 1/2 cups bread flour</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3/4 cup dark rye</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3/4 cup whole wheat flour</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3/4 teaspoon instant yeast</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 1/4 cup lukewarm water</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 tablespoon salt</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Caramelized Walnuts:</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 cup chopped walnuts </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1/4 cup sugar</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">4 teaspoon water</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 tablespoon butter</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The night before combine the "Night Before" ingredients together and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit on the counter for 12 - 16 hours. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The next morning place the chopped nuts onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 250F oven till lightly toasted (or toast on a medium warm dry skillet on the stove – but keep an eye on them). Then set aside to cool. Pour the sugar and water into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil till the mixture comes up to a 240F (I didn’t take the temp, but it was boiling rapidly and starting to color and foam) . Add in the toasted nuts. Keep the saucepan on the heat and continually stir till the mixture turns a golden brown. Remove from the heat and add in the butter and mix. Pour mixture out onto a silpat or grease parchment paper to cool. Set aside.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Add the "night before" mixture into a large bowl. Pour in the water and stir. Add in the rye, whole wheat flour and instant yeast. Mix together until well blended and the mixture is smooth. Allow to rest for 10 minutes uncovered. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Add in salt and slowly add in bread flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until it becomes too hard to mix. Pour the mixture out onto a floured surface and begin to knead in the rest of the flour. Knead for 8 - 10 minutes, you want the dough to be on the sticky side. If you need to add more flour do so with just a tablespoon at a time. Pour a little oil into a clean bowl and add in the dough. Turn over a few times to very lightly coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 1/2 hours or until double in bulk. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">After the dough has risen pour out onto a flat surface. Flatten out the dough with your fingers to release some of the gas – but keep it relatively gentle, you want to retain some of the air in the bread for a nice soft crumb. Add the caramelized nuts on top and knead just till blended. Cut dough in half and shape into two balls. Sprinkle some cornmeal or flour onto a piece of parchment paper and place the loaves on top. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour or until doubled.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle a little flour on top. Score the top of the bread with a sharp knife. The loaves will be going into a 450-degree, preheated oven with a baking stone on the middle rack and a cast iron pan or broiler pan on the bottom rack. To create some steam. Once you place the breads into the oven pour about a cup of hot water into the hot pan and close the door. Bake for 30 -35 minutes or the internal temp is approximately 205-210 degrees.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwYXXsJthMoQjqaQYIH06VFQZLA1t4Uwf0b-tQQ9vzS3zRUoIp9BGrd00K9RODUg0YRGhluDqOHogWJbEYHUs96Sg8MtohmzGF04rAtnLXNc1oMM2-_n8jtjebI0Y58Z1GVMLeYgGAEW-/s1600-h/IMG_5209.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwYXXsJthMoQjqaQYIH06VFQZLA1t4Uwf0b-tQQ9vzS3zRUoIp9BGrd00K9RODUg0YRGhluDqOHogWJbEYHUs96Sg8MtohmzGF04rAtnLXNc1oMM2-_n8jtjebI0Y58Z1GVMLeYgGAEW-/s400/IMG_5209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334787886262748274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Submitted to <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/category/yeastspotting/"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">YeastSpotting</span></a></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:85%;" > at </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Wild Yeast</span></a></span></div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-85286832464769211952009-05-07T06:52:00.000-07:002009-05-07T07:14:20.132-07:00Thanks Everyone!I was honored to wake up this morning to find out I had won the second Foodie Fight Battle. Thank you to everyone who voted! I was amazed at the amount of support you gave and that votes came in from around the world.<br /><br />Congratulations to all of the contestants in the Foodie Fight. I quickly got very nervous when I saw all of the revealed dishes - 6 wonderful creations were produced and I only wish we could all get together for a giant Rhubarb and Coriander feast.<br /><br />As I mentioned in the original <a href="http://brakeforbread.blogspot.com/2009/05/foodie-fight-more-like-flavor-love-fest.html">post</a>, I love this type of blog event because it gives me an opportunity to push a little harder in the kitchen, get creative, and enjoy food we may not have otherwise enjoyed. So a big thank you to <a href="http://macheesmo.com/">Nick</a> and <a href="http://www.thefoodinmybeard.com/">Dan</a> for the creation of <a href="http://foodiefights.com/">Foodie Fights</a>. To all you food bloggers out there - go <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/signup/">sign-up</a> for the next FoodieFight. You won't regret it. I'm also super excited about being a judge in the next round. It will be great to experience the whole Foodie Fight from different perspectives (contestant/judge).<br /><br />Thanks again!Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-17101930750517247152009-05-03T21:26:00.000-07:002009-05-05T10:33:13.395-07:00Foodie Fight? More Like a Flavor Love Fest!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_mZw6cmRliBSHQ1EGmuMbId6j7l_Y6d9D4YANM_gVoQbLLEO-qONQ0yw2xpLKWmdU1t5Dq3QTD6KehtnrgIXumOqR893Mss7FZqhQQEpKPbTqro0RBjUE2LI2WGrewAQfoIe31yQO_iL/s1600-h/IMG_5263.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331835037566653762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_mZw6cmRliBSHQ1EGmuMbId6j7l_Y6d9D4YANM_gVoQbLLEO-qONQ0yw2xpLKWmdU1t5Dq3QTD6KehtnrgIXumOqR893Mss7FZqhQQEpKPbTqro0RBjUE2LI2WGrewAQfoIe31yQO_iL/s400/IMG_5263.JPG" /></a><br />The thing I love about food blogging is the food blogging community. So many talented and generous people are out there sharing their wisdom and their love of all things <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">food</span>. When I started my blog, it was a chance to keep track of some of the food we were creating and eating, and share some recipes with friends. As time went on, the blog became a way to interact with many others around the world who are equally (and then some!) passionate about food. I have gained an immeasurable amount of inspiration from the impressive work of these bloggers. And because I have chosen to share my work in a public forum, I have felt challenged to up my own game.<br /><br />It started when I joined the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers</a>. Each month hundreds of bloggers around the world were challenged to make the same dish, and share their results with each other. With a deadline looming and knowing that I would have to share my results, the adrenaline began pumping and I was hooked. I was compelled to tackle exacting recipes that had previously scared me off with their complex techniques and pages of details. After several successes on the baking end, I joined the newly-formed <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Cooks</a>, and I look forward to the challenges ahead in that end of the kitchen.<br /><br />So when I saw that <a href="http://www.macheesmo.com/">Nick</a> and <a href="http://www.thefoodinmybeard.com/">Dan</a> had created <a href="http://foodiefights.com/">FoodieFights.com</a> and would be taking their Iron Chef style food blog challenges mainstream, I was very excited. Being a part of the second ever Foodie Fight has been an honor and a challenge both. Seriously, rhubarb and coriander?<br /><br />The biggest challenge was actually narrowing down the list of options I came up with. After spending an afternoon discussing it with R, I had about a half dozen sweet recipes, and an equal number of savory recipes in mind. After talking it out, we finally settled on the one that sounded the most delicious:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Pulled Pork in a Rhubarb Coriander BBQ Sauce with a Pickled Rhubarb Relish and </span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Freshly Cut Mixed Greens from the Garden</span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> on Homemade Coriander Buns.</span><br /><br />Now, that's a heck of a name, but really, almost every aspect of the meal had that rhubarb/coriander combination in it because they are quite a team - even the pickled rhubarb is spiced with coriander. Turns out, this unexpected marriage of flavors really works.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span style="font-family:arial;">Before we get too far into this thing, let me remind you that this is a competition. So after checking out the rest of the post, please check out all the other wonderful entries over at <a href="http://foodiefights.com/">foodiefights.com</a>, and then vote for your favorite, wink wink, your favorite Pulled Pork Sandwich that is.</span></span><br /><br /><script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://s3.polldaddy.com/p/1594780"></script><br /><br />It made the most sense to prep the pickles and sauce before tackling the pork, and then prepare the coriander buns last so they would be fresh when served.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQxlH94R_1JhsuA2kMM7jk4zP7drJq_ZqKOPsYjRpc8G5IaPgvQfGyjxbm-coXLrTzvQ1DxCgS03yIBqe7YxV75y1eWAbojSP8zz82Qu3wQKoJyA3Adu2Wieg2aPOw0LSoKhf2RLgauGt/s1600-h/IMG_5110.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331835035846516002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQxlH94R_1JhsuA2kMM7jk4zP7drJq_ZqKOPsYjRpc8G5IaPgvQfGyjxbm-coXLrTzvQ1DxCgS03yIBqe7YxV75y1eWAbojSP8zz82Qu3wQKoJyA3Adu2Wieg2aPOw0LSoKhf2RLgauGt/s400/IMG_5110.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Chopping Rhubarb and Onions to be Pickled</span></span><br /></div><br />I knew with the sweet and savory aspect of the BBQ pork I wanted an acidic element to balance the flavor composition. The pickled rhubarb was just the thing.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtU0uCyQhs8BBV1TDtWK5CWt0jwhiciOJwOQd1p5xGRf3P8Vryp4AiFlVxlFDkNL9aNGCPibs7PZYDCjUwM7MK6oXcRFmwfW81jMdLjTG5waS4wqOy_Y8sX47SdavdLs3fCkwmXJl4-qI/s1600-h/IMG_5118.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331835039220097650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtU0uCyQhs8BBV1TDtWK5CWt0jwhiciOJwOQd1p5xGRf3P8Vryp4AiFlVxlFDkNL9aNGCPibs7PZYDCjUwM7MK6oXcRFmwfW81jMdLjTG5waS4wqOy_Y8sX47SdavdLs3fCkwmXJl4-qI/s400/IMG_5118.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Pickling spices, clockwise from top center: coriander, peppercorns, dry mustard, clove, cumin</span></span><br /></div><br />It is spicy from the coriander, peppercorns, and mustard, and sweet and sour from the sugar and vinegar brine.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtL9Zx2bPUdck4uW3rPEMGFf0ND3fqzU-JaMQVhcFHT2wzAnxuq8URvKz1zpYuk5JQ3drE66gv-yhxD3gvb9nmpvWdLtlRIGl-ZFlFLAKw-5FBD5ecHg3phszhvtdCcmAr2S2oaTrCV3V4/s1600-h/IMG_5245.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331835049759937026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtL9Zx2bPUdck4uW3rPEMGFf0ND3fqzU-JaMQVhcFHT2wzAnxuq8URvKz1zpYuk5JQ3drE66gv-yhxD3gvb9nmpvWdLtlRIGl-ZFlFLAKw-5FBD5ecHg3phszhvtdCcmAr2S2oaTrCV3V4/s400/IMG_5245.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Pickled Rhubarb Relish in all of its sweet and sour glory</span></span><br /></div><br />The result is a fabulously complex, crispy relish that complimented the sandwiches' richness perfectly. Even its colder temperature added another element of interest in the otherwise warm sandwich.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BJVsalMpe8YV6BcgfAiVgio-erfMDVDdSzxUGCk__ht0hMzZC1Rk8MQ8P2IFH5mSecs_ht7WK64T-pOP9X7amwVkerMP8zp8yqVb_-WsEGLClub78AZ5i9saXIeqCq_B_yfGyRURYtaF/s1600-h/IMG_5197.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331835792827282386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BJVsalMpe8YV6BcgfAiVgio-erfMDVDdSzxUGCk__ht0hMzZC1Rk8MQ8P2IFH5mSecs_ht7WK64T-pOP9X7amwVkerMP8zp8yqVb_-WsEGLClub78AZ5i9saXIeqCq_B_yfGyRURYtaF/s400/IMG_5197.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Rhubarb chopped and ready for the BBQ sauce</span></span><br /></div><br />This BBQ sauce is very unique. It hints of a traditional BBQ sauce, but has much more depth. The rhubarb is the key player, adding an unexpected, yet delightfully satisfying note. With rhubarb as the main ingredient, I made a tomato sauce based BBQ with brown sugar, molasses, cider vinegar, spices (featuring coriander, of course), and finished with a touch of spicy mustard and some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sriracha">Sriracha</a>. At the end of the day, this is a BBQ sauce I will be going back to. It was a great companion to the meat, and not cloyingly sweet like so many pulled pork recipes are.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXJ38-gKBRdWu1pU0Akc1SzOlSrB31MnHWDoEsHgKXnSOjBRArPmXa50Cl2tpcxYmcDrHHpVNEpuaKOF2rY3ckxKxvk3813buqWm-1ALtHKnKmasdS9ZwOjt7B5tNrObv81FoEBJ6Tzxg/s1600-h/IMG_5229.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 312px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331835806701184146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXJ38-gKBRdWu1pU0Akc1SzOlSrB31MnHWDoEsHgKXnSOjBRArPmXa50Cl2tpcxYmcDrHHpVNEpuaKOF2rY3ckxKxvk3813buqWm-1ALtHKnKmasdS9ZwOjt7B5tNrObv81FoEBJ6Tzxg/s400/IMG_5229.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Pork loin with coriander and peppercorn rub</span></span><br /></div><br />Both the pork itself and the bun highlighted the aromatic essence of the coriander. The meat was rubbed with crushed coriander and black peppercorns before being seared and then slow cooked in the rhubarb BBQ sauce overnight. The buns were spiced with ground coriander seeds and were the perfect base for the sandwich. Aromatic and tasty, even light, they had just the right amount of texture and density to stand up to the saucy sandwiches.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt1JMFa8xlZPDwtKieDOiveHIxJF_rSFq2O1qYckl5BaS4fctz0Xp5-cDFUew9lVEDRdbbF_gnKLMwqkhc-t1MO7XxapxwBAp_54XXWgU4Ut7V6aZsl_-2HJ_DVXq4eJhmusa59xV_cQE/s1600-h/IMG_5232.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331835812031942306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjt1JMFa8xlZPDwtKieDOiveHIxJF_rSFq2O1qYckl5BaS4fctz0Xp5-cDFUew9lVEDRdbbF_gnKLMwqkhc-t1MO7XxapxwBAp_54XXWgU4Ut7V6aZsl_-2HJ_DVXq4eJhmusa59xV_cQE/s400/IMG_5232.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Coriander Sandwich buns during their second rise</span></span><br /></div><br />The complete sandwiches were complex, rich, tangy, just sweet enough and very satisfying. We served the sandwiches with a very simple salad of fresh mixed greens and herbs (harvested from our <a href="http://ethanruthharperjack.blogspot.com/2009/04/garden-roll-call.html">garden</a> minutes before dinner ) with a citrus honey vinaigrette, as well as a tangy carrot and shallot salad with a salty, white wine vinegar kick - a more exciting interpretation of the classic coleslaw side dish.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjletgSw91mKx4R5SLI1rhWeq2nHtGg2e8D5P3x2L7DDu8vzqyTa1WeMq8Mofo7nWJl4aS7XjUzxKgFuSEeeZrlSipZZpGetQz1wYb0KBHjYWTxFaqGqyiB989DYSm1aqCKFBIEHtSmLM63/s1600-h/IMG_5044.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331843423440995586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjletgSw91mKx4R5SLI1rhWeq2nHtGg2e8D5P3x2L7DDu8vzqyTa1WeMq8Mofo7nWJl4aS7XjUzxKgFuSEeeZrlSipZZpGetQz1wYb0KBHjYWTxFaqGqyiB989DYSm1aqCKFBIEHtSmLM63/s400/IMG_5044.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Fresh greens in the garden waiting to be harvested</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MJPu9ZJ8JPoLAbduQfEcSwIY2tF7JaNjiOT3hAuLQe7DFxgENCY0BBmw9GV_sIs3D65MLsPQ9rdAoQUjaANwOJRJIoG-_5vM12_0wwq3AUgveukSm40n7_x8V9XQ2J0LqvHw1wkqkJJ6/s1600-h/IMG_5236.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331836834417813762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7MJPu9ZJ8JPoLAbduQfEcSwIY2tF7JaNjiOT3hAuLQe7DFxgENCY0BBmw9GV_sIs3D65MLsPQ9rdAoQUjaANwOJRJIoG-_5vM12_0wwq3AUgveukSm40n7_x8V9XQ2J0LqvHw1wkqkJJ6/s400/IMG_5236.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Prepping the tangy carrot salad</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDBUqGw79s4aF5wfTwECbf0laLrKMMy9BklHPcT56UAn_dERXvbGDVXXFeLEQgm5LHd_vxDuFcNMsH3IGwk63T0_95hGco_24ZVXPGOquBTCp9tax5RLba1tOQbpZm4-WCic1aexHgsvN/s1600-h/IMG_5238.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331836838828697602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDBUqGw79s4aF5wfTwECbf0laLrKMMy9BklHPcT56UAn_dERXvbGDVXXFeLEQgm5LHd_vxDuFcNMsH3IGwk63T0_95hGco_24ZVXPGOquBTCp9tax5RLba1tOQbpZm4-WCic1aexHgsvN/s400/IMG_5238.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Working on those knife skills</span></span><br /></div><br />Win or lose, we loved this meal! I hope everything looks and sounds good to you. Good enough for your vote, and good enough for you to head into the kitchen and give the recipes a try.<br /><br />And a big thank you to <a href="http://foodiefights.com/">FoodieFights.com</a> and all of the competitors in the Foodie Fight #2!<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Pickled Rhubarb Relish</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">3 stalks fresh rhubarb<br />½ medium onion (any color - I used white)<br />2 Tbs. kosher salt<br />1 ½ C. cider vinegar<br />2/3 C. sugar<br />1 Tbs. coriander seed<br />1 ½ tsp. dry mustard<br />2 tsp. black peppercorns<br />1 ½ tsp. whole cloves<br />1 tsp. cumin seeds<br />1 tsp. turmeric<br />1 bay leaf<br /><br />1. Wash and peel the rhubarb and slice into very thin slices. Using a mandolin is easiest, but since I don’t have one, it’s a good chance to hone those knife skills. Peel and half the onion and slice into equally thin half moons. Combine the rhubarb and onion in a non-reactive bowl and toss with salt. Cover in cold water and a few ice cubes and stir to dissolve salt.<br /><br />2. After at least 30 minutes, feel and taste a piece of the rhubarb. It should feel slightly softened. Drain the veggies and pat dry.<br /><br />3. Combine the vinegar, sugar, and all remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Set the brine aside to cool, or put the sauce pan into an ice bath to cool more quickly.<br /><br />4. Return the rhubarb and onions to the dry bowl and add the cooled brine. Stir to distribute the spices and then transfer to a jar that will hold the veggies and brine. Seal well and refrigerate for at least a day before serving to allow the flavors to marry.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATU7gJB9o_gzXQVL_wXupCM6s_oSvzhwNUjg9s4Gzeys0vgSIapeA-fEAhXd7903VzDVk2r3RVjlwK9FHe2v_zKCcYNMvzFCj_ROGACQ10fUuHvt81u_iEEdldPvSfr76PmcKZ70P9bU4/s1600-h/IMG_5120.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331835045030415554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATU7gJB9o_gzXQVL_wXupCM6s_oSvzhwNUjg9s4Gzeys0vgSIapeA-fEAhXd7903VzDVk2r3RVjlwK9FHe2v_zKCcYNMvzFCj_ROGACQ10fUuHvt81u_iEEdldPvSfr76PmcKZ70P9bU4/s400/IMG_5120.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">2 Tbs. olive oil<br />½ C. diced onion<br />2 Tbs. crushed coriander seeds<br />1 ½ tsp. dry mustard<br />3 C. thinly chopped cleaned and peeled rhubarb.<br />½ - 2/3 C. brown sugar (use up to 2/3 C. if you like a sweeter sauce)<br />2 Tbs. water<br />1 Tbs. spicy/brown/Dijon etc. mustard<br />3 Tbs. cider vinegar<br />¾ C. tomato sauce<br />2 Tbs. molasses<br />1/3 C. ketchup<br />1-2 Tbs. Sriracha, depending on taste<br />Salt and pepper to taste<br /><br /><br />Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring for 5-6 minutes until translucent and soft. Add the coriander seed and dry mustard and cook for another minute to toast the spices. Add the rhubarb, sugar and water and increase heat to medium high. Bring the sauce to a low boil. The rhubarb will give off a considerable amount of liquid to allow the sauce to properly boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb has softened and can be mashed with a spoon.<br /><br />Lower the heat and add the remaining ingredients through the Sriracha. Stir well to combine and cook on low for several minutes. Taste the sauce, and season with salt and pepper appropriately.<br /><br />Serve the sauce warm over the sandwiches. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin with anything from water to apple juice or even a splash of beer.</span><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBwRhhNYkqMLNO7sk6_KyCN3uDS7uM66zcvshaMZesYF_RLg1BNxki0bapgTafq6svq1wBbs5NCfCVXjU4p6q5A087Up5BoL55YV4xRf96hGpO7JOxxWvb7d_nd81AA3_G9ECfMdxjqM2/s1600-h/IMG_5271.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332161628154117554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBwRhhNYkqMLNO7sk6_KyCN3uDS7uM66zcvshaMZesYF_RLg1BNxki0bapgTafq6svq1wBbs5NCfCVXjU4p6q5A087Up5BoL55YV4xRf96hGpO7JOxxWvb7d_nd81AA3_G9ECfMdxjqM2/s400/IMG_5271.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Seconds. A little rhubarb BBQ sauce slathered on some pulled pork with a lettuce leaf, and a thin slice of bread.</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Pulled Pork</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Large pork loin/butt/shoulder etc. any decent cut of meat with some fat in it that you can get a good deal on</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Olive oil</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A few Tbs. crushed black peppercorns</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">A few Tbs. crushed coriander seeds</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Kosher salt</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">½ - 1 C. diced onion</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 C. deglazing liquid (I used homemade veggie broth, but you could easily use water, juice, beer, wine etc.)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2 C. rhubarb BBQ sauce</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Clean and dry the pork. Heat some olive oil in a large heavy pan over fairly high heat. Rub the meat with the pepper, coriander, and salt on all sides. Sear the meat in the hot pan until all sides are browned. (Contrary to popular belief, we are not “locking in the juices” at this point, we are just adding flavor).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Transfer the meat to the cooking vessel. I used a slow cooker but you could easily use a dutch oven cooked low and slow in the oven.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Add the onion to the pan and saute for several minutes. Add the liquid and deglaze the pan scraping up all the delicious crusty pork fond on the bottom of the pan. Pour the pan liquids and the rhubarb BBQ sauce over the pork and cook until fork shreddable. I did this in the slow cooker overnight - 8 hours on low.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBYqdqVz39t3BOHlDgTsHSF3eZKov7p1-ISoBUogA0peoRbuNdYlSWfebeN-YavkRb5iW7XwsP9VogHkFCFEKcbQi-aVAcS2DkT11ZPtB7iBH50HTGhnVJU6r_auSu37YfDISFIDCg8wb/s1600-h/IMG_5198.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331835797372898866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDBYqdqVz39t3BOHlDgTsHSF3eZKov7p1-ISoBUogA0peoRbuNdYlSWfebeN-YavkRb5iW7XwsP9VogHkFCFEKcbQi-aVAcS2DkT11ZPtB7iBH50HTGhnVJU6r_auSu37YfDISFIDCg8wb/s400/IMG_5198.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Coriander Sandwich Buns</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">¾ - 1 C. warm water</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2 Tbs. butter, softened</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 large egg</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3 ½ C. AP flour</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">¼ C. sugar</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 ¼ tsp. salt</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 Tbs. ground coriander seeds</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 Tbs. instant yeast</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Mix and knead all ingredients to make a soft, smooth dough. You can do this by hand or in a stand mixer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 -1 ½ hours.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Gently deflate and divide into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball and flatten to 1” think and about 3” round. Place buns on a lightly greased baking sheet (or use silpat or parchment) cover, and let rise for about an hour.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Brush buns with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy and/or sesame seeds.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes until golden.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Cool on a rack.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Enjoy!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5t19S01N-Npi1lH3mZtP9OLxGU-0gTFiLLWqJDswYWuFcugFSHjgH5EuCde3yvh4W6e2SOHQMj4Pwkv67hjcs0N1DDJq1Eg5ET7TITxnZ1pcxJ2AFPFrcGqlqF117f_3278o-WYQ1JK8/s1600-h/IMG_5269.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332161620478377874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5t19S01N-Npi1lH3mZtP9OLxGU-0gTFiLLWqJDswYWuFcugFSHjgH5EuCde3yvh4W6e2SOHQMj4Pwkv67hjcs0N1DDJq1Eg5ET7TITxnZ1pcxJ2AFPFrcGqlqF117f_3278o-WYQ1JK8/s400/IMG_5269.JPG" /></a>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-65037445905150417302009-05-01T20:23:00.000-07:002009-05-01T21:05:14.286-07:00The FoodieFight is on!Earlier this week I got the exciting news that I was one of six food bloggers chosen for the 2nd ever Foodie Fight Battle. The concept was put together by Dan at <a href="http://www.macheesmo.com/">Macheesmo</a> and Nick at <a href="http://www.thefoodinmybeard.com/">TFIMB</a>. After challenging each other to an Iron Chef style food blog battle, they enjoyed the process so much they formed <a href="http://www.foodiefights.com/">FoodieFights.com</a> to share the love. Now, each week, six bloggers will be chosen to battle it out, making any sort of dish based on the two secret ingredients chosen. Judging will ensue, fun will be had, and a victor will be crowned.<br /><br />So without further ado, this week's secret ingredients are...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Coriander Seed and Rhubarb</span><br /><br />As Dan mentioned, the obvious first question is: Savory or Sweet? I have gone over dozens of possible recipes on both the sweet and savory side and I think I have finally settled on a dish. I look forward to working things out this weekend and can't wait to share my results with you all.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Please come back on Tuesday </span><span style="font-style: italic;">(Happy Cinco de Mayo!)</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> to vote!!!</span> I have a feeling I will need all the votes I can get, I am paired with some pretty stiff competition. You should definitely take a few minutes and check out all of their sites, each one is unique and impressive and has me quite intimidated. <br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.agakitchen.com/">Aga Kitchen</a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://arugulafiles.typepad.com/">The Arugula Files</a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://crazymonkeyhouse.blogspot.com/">Crazy Monkey House</a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://downsized76.wordpress.com/">Downsized!</a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.gourmetgirlmagazine.com/">Elaine - The Gourmet Girl</a><br /><br />The judges for this week's challenge include last week's winner Pete, of <a href="http://www.peterandrewryan.com/baking/">PeteBakes</a>, and surprise judge Erin Zimmer, the editor of <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/">Serious Eats: New York</a>. They'll be looking for, most importantly, which dish would they like to eat, overall creativity, and whether or not it is a good blog post. Hopefully I am able to deliver the goods.<br /><br />Don't forget to come back on Tuesday to vote. I'll need your support.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-56086508398057237772009-04-29T20:19:00.000-07:002009-04-29T20:46:57.594-07:00A Light, Greek-Inspired Meal<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUgK9UrIgmQ0DQAd3BmuzmE7xs2uMR5zjPp_B4bVUJLftQRMygNrZapiWYS-yPu4LnXU4XW_71l-5NemINuZwNPCfQ-PzqUnYvX53akHOgNWVz4c0CVPwYQTgjwNFtprUaxGdp91TdbUV/s1600-h/IMG_5063.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUgK9UrIgmQ0DQAd3BmuzmE7xs2uMR5zjPp_B4bVUJLftQRMygNrZapiWYS-yPu4LnXU4XW_71l-5NemINuZwNPCfQ-PzqUnYvX53akHOgNWVz4c0CVPwYQTgjwNFtprUaxGdp91TdbUV/s400/IMG_5063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330322389853346962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Organic baby artichokes and meyer lemons</span></span><br /></div><br />It all started with some baby artichokes in our <a href="https://www.abundantharvestorganics.com/case_contents.php">CSA box</a>. That and the giant block of feta in the fridge R had picked up from Costco. I was leaning Mediterranean, as I had already made some fresh hummus earlier in the day. The meal ended up having a Greekesque flair to it. Nothing hardcore authentic, but throw some feta, lemon, and mint together and it's going to at least hint of being Greek.<br /><br />I have never prepared baby artichoke before, so I kept those simple. I peeled the outer, tougher leaves off, trimmed the stem and the top of the choke and then quartered them and let them hang out in some lemon juice infused water while I prepped everything else.<br /><br />I made some long grain white rice, cooked with lemon zest, and then fluffed with minced mint, from our <a href="http://ethanruthharperjack.blogspot.com/2009/04/garden-roll-call.html">garden,</a> after it was finished cooking.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraH_0mDGQyJ3WlA3fvBWmndrZkYasnLDZNyuRPuBKKiG_Mx-9PACFN5ejsZLXmStbUz0__3gqar9HG3V5A6MKOJ1pnEMQcncWhYLV7V74zGKUMu1djLED373FrqEmnYzWR1yNSNI5G9rv/s1600-h/IMG_5069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraH_0mDGQyJ3WlA3fvBWmndrZkYasnLDZNyuRPuBKKiG_Mx-9PACFN5ejsZLXmStbUz0__3gqar9HG3V5A6MKOJ1pnEMQcncWhYLV7V74zGKUMu1djLED373FrqEmnYzWR1yNSNI5G9rv/s400/IMG_5069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330322392218006482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Clockwise from top center: feta, mint, shallot, garlic, zatar</span></span><br /></div><br />I wanted a simple and light protein to go with it, so I ended up making some baked, mini, Greek, turkey meatballs. The ground turkey was mixed with one slightly beaten egg, about 1/4+ C. of feta, 2 Tbs. fresh zatar (it tastes a bit like oregano), 2 Tbs. fresh mint, some minced shallot, and minced garlic. I also mixed in a bit of bread crumbs and oats because I had them. Any sort of binding agent would work. They were loosely rolled into small balls and placed individually in the wells of a mini muffin tin. While they baked in a 425 degree oven (for about 20 minutes), I got to work on the chokes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kaXzg335uJRThczL1nMCjz8HptiaZ4-h-0zH1M1sokcOeBwGTOA4e5TpiM_eIGQw15A-UGDylaEHsdcXZN5Uz5tbxYSwat6sUH-2RiG3hmiuKgqBScmfn1VCXxl1M9q7XzNDxOQMRvdQ/s1600-h/IMG_5070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2kaXzg335uJRThczL1nMCjz8HptiaZ4-h-0zH1M1sokcOeBwGTOA4e5TpiM_eIGQw15A-UGDylaEHsdcXZN5Uz5tbxYSwat6sUH-2RiG3hmiuKgqBScmfn1VCXxl1M9q7XzNDxOQMRvdQ/s400/IMG_5070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330322393040642258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Meatballs (okay, more like meatmounds) ready for the oven</span></span><br /></div><br />I started by braising/steaming them in a saute pan with a tight fitting lid. I used some homemade veggie broth and a little of the lemon water. There was probably about a 1/4 inch of liquid in the pan with the chokes. After about 15 minutes they were getting tender, so I removed the lid to cook off the liquid. Once almost all of the liquid was cooked off, I added some butter, shallot, and a bit of the fresh zatar and sauteed the chokes until they browned slightly.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL4KWbJLe3qkMM7YgMk_59_Kjjxf18tbOnqrJ03SWVH5sVH5Gp9edjrmdORS9F-P4RlWznvtxwNDiisrH_A3lvhTHv0hct_mdf5vWE9dLAH3KtI0crXJbV6YScguRz7fAeJUfgq7wAzAf/s1600-h/IMG_5080.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipL4KWbJLe3qkMM7YgMk_59_Kjjxf18tbOnqrJ03SWVH5sVH5Gp9edjrmdORS9F-P4RlWznvtxwNDiisrH_A3lvhTHv0hct_mdf5vWE9dLAH3KtI0crXJbV6YScguRz7fAeJUfgq7wAzAf/s400/IMG_5080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330322398539247618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">A simple meal served on the beautiful placemats R made</span></span><br /></div><br />The artichokes and meatballs were served over the lemon mint rice, all with a healthy drizzle of lemon juice and more feta. Was this the most amazing meal ever? No, but it was pretty good. Light, seasonal, and it's just generally hard to argue with a homecooked meal.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-4893906785216110472009-04-27T12:21:00.000-07:002009-04-27T21:21:18.856-07:00Nothing Says “Happy Anniversary” Like an Orange Blossom and Pine Nut Cheesecake with Honey.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnu_eKf57O40ahOXEKUZlF6u3h3cj1zCdq0GbUBVaNXujwmbeidfUb2yvHEkSh9wdYCL83jM7NwZQliYkaYO9M1eHFwqeReT9cvexUhsmSuKFnH1CRrEL9gxI-oI3hP2kU-9nZn4nVsvp/s1600-h/cc_near.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329502272179150146" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 267px; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnu_eKf57O40ahOXEKUZlF6u3h3cj1zCdq0GbUBVaNXujwmbeidfUb2yvHEkSh9wdYCL83jM7NwZQliYkaYO9M1eHFwqeReT9cvexUhsmSuKFnH1CRrEL9gxI-oI3hP2kU-9nZn4nVsvp/s400/cc_near.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxQQFcFoEgDjPsEr5WRUeXyd1TldVOfMVo40-APwO2UJoz1c8Bf7eWTmwkFDbBMJVh84TyDDi1bZVRefxb_e5VCR_336mL5AhYrJghUnbJxy0rek2KYrhuLVn52XGlj8fz5rGtey_dk5s/s1600-h/cc_wholeJPG.JPG"></a>This month's <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers</a> Challenge post date happened to fall on our 7-year anniversary. I would like to claim that I waited until the very end of the month so we could have a celebratory cheesecake on this special day, but… Regardless, it was a happy coincidence that after dinner out together, we will get to come home to a wonderful homemade cheesecake dessert. (Shhhh, don’t tell, but while photographing the cake this morning, we had a little taste – delicious: creamy, smooth, and pleasantly floral without overdoing it)<br /><br /><em><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from <a href="http://jennybakes.blogspot.com/">Jenny Bakes</a>. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.</span></em><br /><br />The challenge of this month’s Challenge was to get creative with the flavor combinations of the cheesecake. I had several ideas (lavender/lemon with a shortbread crust, espresso liqueur with chocolate ganache, lemongrass and thyme…) but ultimately ended up with an orange blossom cheesecake with a vanilla/pinenut crust. Not amazingly creative, but it sounded good to us. I had originally planned to serve it with an honey cream topping but decided that might be overkill (although I think I may still mix up a little and give it a try).<br /><br />The recipe calls for a traditional graham cracker crust, which I actually like quite a bit, but since we have found out J is allergic to soy, we have realized that there is soy in EVERYTHING – graham crackers included (along with most sandwich bread, crackers, cookies, dressings, all restaurant food, etc.). So I swapped out vanilla wafer cookies and added some toasted pine nuts. Because the nuts have a pretty high oil content, I cut the butter back to about 6 Tbs. instead of 8. I also omitted both the sugar and the vanilla extract since the cookies are vanilla flavored and quite sweet already.<br /><br />In the cheesecake part, I swapped Orange Blossom Water for the vanilla (I used about 1.5 Tbs.) and added .5 Tbs. or so of orange liqueur. My original plan was to swap out some of the sugar for orange blossom honey, but frankly, I forgot. And while the cheesecake ended up amazingly delicious, I will definitely try the honey substitution next time.<br /><br />My plan for the honey cream was just a made up sort of whim, but I may yet give it a try. I am basically planning to whip together some heavy cream, sour cream, and honey. This could be served on the side like a dollop of whipped cream, or spread on the set and chilled cake like a traditional sour cream layer. Without the honey cream, it was still quite nice served with a drizzle of orange honey and a smattering of toasted pine nuts.<br /></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329502630468085026" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 236px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1puoQ2V140x1DE_HL4C5Ijrv_koYsyHF4Da8S8cGixXgm8XqdUF-lKbmYdGo6X67Ym2e9zqcMUVAifiWiI88PQZBB-ibiB_NBr1RDZcDSF6QyREz9P53ZMGXEyZhWkb3Eo-j5PJIDuC0/s400/cc_wholeJPG.JPG" border="0" /><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><strong>Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake</strong>:<br /><br />crust: </span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">(see notes above for my substitutions)<br /></span>2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs<br />1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted<br />2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar<br />1 tsp. vanilla extract<br /><br />cheesecake: </span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">(see notes above for my substitutions)<br /></span>3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature<br />1 cup / 210 g sugar<br />3 large eggs<br />1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream<br />1 tbsp. lemon juice<br />1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)<br />1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake<br /><br />DIRECTIONS:<br />1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.<br /><br />2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.<br /><br />3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.<br /><br />4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.<br /><br />5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.</span></span> </div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329502264913923890" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 243px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6J79MXyEDktMUPSlKScwXl7-RucIr8KImHhkXP4CddNcYqVl4CAghQ9QyvYAEJmoBFtUWNxODHGsPxtHs6LCdBlymtY6-tkZSBOQWWiqfF9Jt_C3ymivA57FsNA13ZbvS9TUu5jSwcT5/s400/cc_far.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-92121380681186493872009-04-22T21:03:00.000-07:002009-04-23T12:10:59.801-07:00Throwdown::No-Knead Bread<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD_zYgEOKjyVo3FJQ-1UEFVL04LIYpEn9RtNk6JWbEMvdMMVOPR-OxU4VL1-FOrdvobJytBZ_wgno2CgRjekSGdnwFVI7hPn3NJomdroHru2AwgsdM3sgWJkNEL_lAnTHlCr-NPbXkkGh/s1600-h/IMG_4952.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327743138356420050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUD_zYgEOKjyVo3FJQ-1UEFVL04LIYpEn9RtNk6JWbEMvdMMVOPR-OxU4VL1-FOrdvobJytBZ_wgno2CgRjekSGdnwFVI7hPn3NJomdroHru2AwgsdM3sgWJkNEL_lAnTHlCr-NPbXkkGh/s400/IMG_4952.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">The Cook's Illustrated No-Knead Bread on the left with some Whole-Wheat Flax loaves</span><br /></div><br />As promised, here is the no-knead bread post. As I <a href="http://brakeforbread.blogspot.com/2009/04/return-of-fresh-baked-bread.html">mentioned</a> earlier, the no-knead trend has been gaining a lot of steam lately and has been credited with getting a lot of people over their fear of yeast. And frankly, the credit is earned. It really is quite easy and it really is quite good.<br /><br />The bread is a pretty straight forward flour, water, salt, yeast french bready type deal. It has a nice crisp crust without being overly chewy, a soft, moist, open crumb and it just tastes good. Both recipes I made had a touch of sweetness to them because they are both all white flour breads. The first no-knead bread we tried was the Jim Lahey/Mark Bittman bread as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html">published</a> in the New York Times. We pitted that against the Cook's Illustrated "Almost No-Knead Bread" but I skipped their kneading stage, so we can call it a true <span style="COLOR: rgb(102,102,102);font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Throwdown::</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(102,102,102);font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >No-Knead Bread</span>.<br /><br />Both breads use the same long fermentation technique. You mix up all the ingredients into a shaggy dough, cover it, and let it sit for 12-18 hours. Time it so you can wait the whole 18 hours, it makes a difference. The dough is then folded together (watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Ah9ES2yTU&feature=related">this video</a> to get a sense of what the folding looks like - and a walk through of the whole process) a few time, left to rest, shaped, rested, and baked in a preheat dutch oven. The first have of baking is covered, so the moist dough in a closed environment creates it's own steam with contributes to the great crumb and crust.<br /><br />The Lahey/Bittman bread is a straight up dough of flour, water, yeast, and salt. The Cook's Illustrated version gets tricky by adding a bit of lager and a touch of vinegar to get the yeast all excited. Neither one takes much hands on time. A few minutes to mix the ingredients, a minute to fold, another minute to shape. You have to remember to preheat the dutch oven. It needs to be screaming hot so the bread steams and doesn't stick.<br /><br />At the end of the day, we decided we liked the Cook's Illustrated version better. The beer and vinegar just gave it a slightly more interesting dimension. Both were very enjoyable and I would make both again. In fact I know I will end up making them quite often. It is great dinner bread with soup, or as an appetizer with cheese etc. Very versatile and delicious.<br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><br /><a style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html">Lahey/Bittman No-Knead Bread </a><br /><br />Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery<br />Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising</span> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting<br />¼ teaspoon instant yeast<br />1¼ teaspoons salt<br />Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.</span></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KpfY35OdX-o9OtXV7jXIF_PO_Ocl-nhOSrYMalrkYcuKfrNZntuatgsXLUAGQFRXojXSpDch3xxyhcegzTqF4RFq8vlnaQpqYbnjNn16cZuklHttzVFIAK6lRNraAzBaOl9xGx9r18Vq/s1600-h/IMG_4698.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327743116966825170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KpfY35OdX-o9OtXV7jXIF_PO_Ocl-nhOSrYMalrkYcuKfrNZntuatgsXLUAGQFRXojXSpDch3xxyhcegzTqF4RFq8vlnaQpqYbnjNn16cZuklHttzVFIAK6lRNraAzBaOl9xGx9r18Vq/s400/IMG_4698.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span class="bold" style="font-size:85%;">1. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. </span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span class="bold" style="font-size:85%;">2. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. </span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span class="bold" style="font-size:85%;">3. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.</span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span class="bold" style="font-size:85%;">4. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.</span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span class="bold" style="font-size:85%;">Yield</span><span style="font-size:85%;">: One 1½-pound loaf.</span></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzOtxvu5wSiXc67chIK9GG8Z2O3zmUCSz2X-7zyb2qNfnjBBmCFkzXHyk4ycfAKtBoRg5KwWDL3nUxB1NvVtVaKowgbECy2BMqF43dMzSwQA_bnpMB5NzSy9ZbricSiJ3ke_dkWwp2bSX/s1600-h/IMG_4701.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327743123604888354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzOtxvu5wSiXc67chIK9GG8Z2O3zmUCSz2X-7zyb2qNfnjBBmCFkzXHyk4ycfAKtBoRg5KwWDL3nUxB1NvVtVaKowgbECy2BMqF43dMzSwQA_bnpMB5NzSy9ZbricSiJ3ke_dkWwp2bSX/s400/IMG_4701.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Nice crumb, but not as much rise as the Cook's Illustrated recipe</span><br /></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Cook's Illustrated Almost No-Knead Bread</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">3 cups (15 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting work surface<br />1/4 teaspoon instant yeast<br />1 1/2 teaspoons table salt<br />3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water (7 ounces) at room temperature<br />1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (3 ounces) mild-flavored lager (<span style="color:#660000;">I used a Black Lager and it worked great - not exactly mild</span>)<br />1 tablespoon white vinegar</span> <p></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfV2Gss2RFhw81RZlP3P8C7XXIinp5pRKf2yGPi7z6nXbUit6yE1gFqk7WZ0FTwstBZQBaaJ472J8ZaMNYUuq59cVYalZ7juwylw8hRjZxnGqo23yV17MrHNVBgie1F6_RjNXi080RE9_/s1600-h/IMG_4946.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327743128768653906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfV2Gss2RFhw81RZlP3P8C7XXIinp5pRKf2yGPi7z6nXbUit6yE1gFqk7WZ0FTwstBZQBaaJ472J8ZaMNYUuq59cVYalZ7juwylw8hRjZxnGqo23yV17MrHNVBgie1F6_RjNXi080RE9_/s400/IMG_4946.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Don't be afraid to bake it until the edges get pretty dark, pale, anemic looking bread is just sad</span><br /></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">1. Whisk flour, yeast and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.</span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2. Lay 12- to 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours. [<span style="color:#660000;">Okay, this part I did totally different. After step one, dump the dough out onto a floured surface and fold several times the same way as with the Lahey/Bittman bread and transfer to a flour covered cloth (not terry cloth). You don't need the parchment paper, skillet, or cooking spray if you flour the cloth well.]</span><br /></span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position (<span style="color:#660000;">I left it in the middle</span>), place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch long, 1/2-inch deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). [<span style="color:#660000;">Since I didn't use the parchment paper, I just gently lifted the dough and dropped it into the pot - be careful, it's very hot!]</span> Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.</span></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz-TNcnzHxnQqfWD0QNvZyCxQdyx2_9emJnr07k53xn3CQCsf4pH1sQR33MFopwEtj50rvxl-27BFLOHUI4rAK_YDRHEXWaZCPXEELtWXvHAxB95q-HMqhPIdIo9E_6t4p54CtW7k7va7/s1600-h/IMG_4953.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327743137148708722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtz-TNcnzHxnQqfWD0QNvZyCxQdyx2_9emJnr07k53xn3CQCsf4pH1sQR33MFopwEtj50rvxl-27BFLOHUI4rAK_YDRHEXWaZCPXEELtWXvHAxB95q-HMqhPIdIo9E_6t4p54CtW7k7va7/s400/IMG_4953.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Beautiful, light, moist, open crumb and a thin crackly crust - a delightful bread all around</span> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="left"><span style="color:#666666;">Submitted to </span><a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/category/yeastspotting/"><span style="color:#666666;">YeastSpotting</span></a><span style="color:#666666;"> at </span><a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/"><span style="color:#666666;">Wild Yeast</span></a><br /></div></span>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-53103356980609304432009-04-10T18:22:00.000-07:002009-04-10T21:46:56.493-07:00Blogging Backlog - DessertsI know, for how infrequently I blog, one might assume I am not cooking or baking that often. Of course, I am, and I am even photographing much of it, I am just in a bad blogging phase. I blame my young children. We are all either having too much fun planting our spring garden, going to ballet, playing at the park, or we are all sick with some ridiculous preschool virus, which renders me a neglectful blogger.<br /><div><br />The weather is warming, the plants sprouting, and (knock on wood) we are leaving a spell of winter illness behind us, so I am going to give my best effort to blog the foods and meals we are growing, baking, and eating much more regularly.<br /><br />But until I get my blogging up to speed, I wanted to at least offer up a few Blogging Backlogs - desserts, some of which may now be out of season but are worth remembering and revisiting down the road.<br /><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Cake</strong><em></em></div><div> </div><br /><div>I made this cake for R’s birthday this year. Although it was delicious and beautiful, it wasn’t ideal. Next time (at least when it’s a special cake for R) I’ll venture into the true Ice Cream CAKE, the kind with a nice thick layer of frozen cake and ice cream. This is more of a crumb crust similar to a cheesecake with a wonderful ganache on top. It was good, and if you use store bought ice cream, very easy and pretty quick, but I promise R, next time, the real deal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_i-J2VsqjD7gXOR1UAmlKkopAehp-fedqlQt9wud68Mt10qqyJcVjrFJ2mTN4nJnRmo8foeqFcKffxYR3aWhqIiAR6gY54S-woSRkJcpCnVi7S7jNgIez25zWipNrHgMftGHEQI55DV8/s1600-h/IMG_4209.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_i-J2VsqjD7gXOR1UAmlKkopAehp-fedqlQt9wud68Mt10qqyJcVjrFJ2mTN4nJnRmo8foeqFcKffxYR3aWhqIiAR6gY54S-woSRkJcpCnVi7S7jNgIez25zWipNrHgMftGHEQI55DV8/s400/IMG_4209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322555043922399282" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" >Chocolate Mint Ice Cream Cake<br />Adapted from: <a href="http://eggsonsunday.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/chocolate-raspberry-ice-cream-cake/#more-242">Eggs on Sunday</a><br /><br />Ingredients (crust and ganache ingredients listed for 10-inch pan)<br /><br />For the cookie crust:<br />6 oz chocolate wafer cookies<br />5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted<br /><br />1 quart Ice Cream (homemade or store bought) I used mint chocolate chip<br /><br />For the chocolate ganache:<br />6 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate cut into pieces<br />6 oz heavy cream<br /><br />Choice of garnish to match ice cream flavor (berries, cookies, crush candy or nuts, etc.) I used Andes mints.<br /><br />Directions<br /><br />Make the chocolate cookie crust:<br />Process the cookies in a food processor until they’re fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse it in until the cookie crumbs are moistened thoroughly. Pour the crumbs out into the bottom of your springform pan and firmly pat them down to make an even layer for the crust. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and place in the freezer to set, about 1 hour.<br /><br />Make the ice cream layer — two ways:<br />If you’re using ice cream that’s already made (I used mint chocolate chip), you can just soften it a bit at room temperature and then beat it in an electric mixer until it’s more the consistency of soft serve. Spread it evenly over the cookie crust, gently pressing down with a spatula to fill in any holes. You want to use enough ice cream to come almost all the way to the top of the springform pan; leave about 1/2 inch room at the top (where the ganache will go. Place the plastic wrap back on over the ice cream layer, smoothing it down directly on the ice cream’s surface so there are no air bubbles. Freeze for at least 2 hours.<br /><br />If you’re making the ice cream, choose your favorite recipe and have at it. Churn it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. When it’s finished churning, spread enough ice cream over the cookie crust in the springform pan so there’s about 1/2-inch of room at the top of the pan. Place plastic wrap over the ice cream, pressing it gently down all over the surface of the ice cream so there are no air bubbles. Freeze for at least 2 hours.<br /><br />To make the chocolate ganache:<br />Place the chocolate and cream in a large heatproof bowl, and set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Take it off the water and cool at room temperature until it’s lukewarm.<br /><br />Take the ice cream cake out of the freezer and remove the plastic wrap. Spread the chocolate ganache over the top, smoothing with a spatula. It should just about come to the top of the springform pan. If you’re using the mints or other garnish, place them around the edge of the cake top.<br /><br />Replace the plastic wrap over the cake, and place it back in the freezer for another 2 hours.<br /><br />To serve let it warm for a few minutes and then carefully cut with a clean, sharp knife. Clean the knife in between cuts to help minimize the weird looking smears I got on each slice.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzbz9IpQXxGZ16Efh96rHOGRPNCWjpM1-hYLWcJo6G5Dd-Pr8Z-Wra5k77430-FZoPdi3q3dgKkaLuJB5yEgw4r6birmLlrdzmLTTbyxALvToGniuRjdcRM2IcJW0HuK22mjtOEKu8_nN/s1600-h/IMG_4215.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzbz9IpQXxGZ16Efh96rHOGRPNCWjpM1-hYLWcJo6G5Dd-Pr8Z-Wra5k77430-FZoPdi3q3dgKkaLuJB5yEgw4r6birmLlrdzmLTTbyxALvToGniuRjdcRM2IcJW0HuK22mjtOEKu8_nN/s400/IMG_4215.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322555044559584722" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Shaker Lemon Pie</strong></div><br /><div>During the winter when we had access to a ton of fresh, organic Meyer lemons, this was our go-to entertaining dessert. It’s good after a meal; it’s awesome at brunch. It is just plain good. You have to really like lemons and some tart bitterness that comes with that. Although Meyer lemons are quite sweet and there is no shortage of sugar in this recipe, it does use the whole lemon, pithy peel and all, so that adds to the bite. We really love that flavor and the toothsomeness (yes, that’s totally a word) that comes with it. Let the pie sit for at least a half hour to set up a bit – longer is fine too. At that point it will hold together enough to slice (it will still be a bit loose though, but who cares?) and still be warm. Serve with a lightly sweetened whipped cream or ice cream. It’s easy and delicious, one worth repeating for sure. There are still Meyer lemons to be had this season, so go for it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe3gkGbBDbuzthrasY3-6azdDNUTv4d8aZtzbwntLqIg-HmRxY_iwPsmqW_OuI4mJNOWfrtVlKc_L6S5RF9KxxCIH4Ld1iCqVprAm2vOlTR1qIe5dscjVERVBXhiUXY8aSErZ03R2pHTd/s1600-h/IMG_3575.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe3gkGbBDbuzthrasY3-6azdDNUTv4d8aZtzbwntLqIg-HmRxY_iwPsmqW_OuI4mJNOWfrtVlKc_L6S5RF9KxxCIH4Ld1iCqVprAm2vOlTR1qIe5dscjVERVBXhiUXY8aSErZ03R2pHTd/s400/IMG_3575.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322555033795838530" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Meyer Lemon Shaker Pie</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">From: <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/dessert/spring-recipe-meyer-lemon-shaker-pie-047770">The Kitchn</a><br /><br />makes one 9" double crust pie<br /><br />3-4 Meyer lemons<br />2 cups sugar<br />1 teaspoon salt<br /><br />Basic Pie Crust – I like using either Martha Stewart’s <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pate-brisee-pie-dough">Pate Brisee</a> (classic pie crust) or </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.blogger.com/www.marthastewart.com/recipe/marthas-pate-sucree">Pate Sucree</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> (a little sweeter)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">4 eggs</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Egg white for wash (optional)</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Sugar for top</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Thinly slice the lemons - as shaved thin as you can get them! Use a mandoline if you have one. Pick out any seeds. Toss with the sugar and salt and set aside.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Heat oven to 450°F. Grease a 9" pie dish or tart pan. Roll out half the dough into a circle, flat between two pieces of wax paper. Peel off the top layer of wax paper. Place your pie dish upside down on the pie dough round, and carefully flip the pan and dough over. Peel away the wax paper on that side and carefully press the dough into the pan. Using a knife or shears, trim away the extra dough so that there is a half inch of dough above the lip of the pan. Tuck under and roll this extra dough, and pinch tight to the side of the pan. Put in the freezer to chill.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Roll out the rest of dough between two pieces of wax paper and put in the freezer to chill.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Beat the eggs well and stir into the lemons with the vanilla. Remove the chilled pie crust from the freezer and pour in the lemons.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Place the other round on top and trim to fit. Pinch seal the edges and cut a few slits on the top to let out steam. Brush with egg white and sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top. Put back in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Take out pie and bake on the lowest rack for 15 minutes at 450°F. Turn the heat down to 375°F and move to the center rack. Bake for another 30 minutes or until the crust is golden. If the crust edges begin browning too much cover with parchment.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQOnMCOU8Pfl9-tfdcn2rDai8bOHIHlFPPq3PIVzFFu7O-fjANCgVFc9UPDxSUh8QaL5sf4wN0SxPqLMswDLGG0xoLX4lghVA_W_dZSP2w0Ig28Bz9jbcoCM6NrYfad9GaCbiJ9LM77lB/s1600-h/IMG_3579.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQOnMCOU8Pfl9-tfdcn2rDai8bOHIHlFPPq3PIVzFFu7O-fjANCgVFc9UPDxSUh8QaL5sf4wN0SxPqLMswDLGG0xoLX4lghVA_W_dZSP2w0Ig28Bz9jbcoCM6NrYfad9GaCbiJ9LM77lB/s400/IMG_3579.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322555038329340818" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Guinness Cake</span><br /><br />Again, St. Patrick's Day has passed already, but this was pretty good and certainly fun. I ended up serving it with David Lebovitz's <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-review/david-lebovitzs-guinnessmilk-chocolate-ice-cream-045655">Milk Chocolate Guinness Ice Cream</a>. I found the cake recipe at <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/recipe-nigella-lawsons-chocolate-guinness-cake-079475">The Kitchn</a>, but it is originally adapted from Nigella Lawson. The idea with all of the cream cheese frosting on top is to make it look like a frothy pint of Guinness. I was very tempted to bake this in individual pint glasses, but I just don't think they would take the heat. It's almost worth baking the cake and spooning it into the glasses and then topping with the frosting. I think it would be a fun and festive way to serve your guests.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEbCWgEcZu7Hi3LAyNBlI6e69VKxihZtYMJoQRVlbhyphenhyphenqyLchth11lx6KXBHKto6JgBiKX1MOroOJRpxB2WC1tpQqqucSQghr8XHJv6XfzoUrCpys7Pqf4KQpM5Mts16vF8JObxZvbe6bm/s1600-h/IMG_4571.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEbCWgEcZu7Hi3LAyNBlI6e69VKxihZtYMJoQRVlbhyphenhyphenqyLchth11lx6KXBHKto6JgBiKX1MOroOJRpxB2WC1tpQqqucSQghr8XHJv6XfzoUrCpys7Pqf4KQpM5Mts16vF8JObxZvbe6bm/s400/IMG_4571.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322555036326798978" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong style="font-family: arial;">Chocolate Guinness Cake</strong></span> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>From </em>Feast <em>by Nigella Lawson</em><br />Yield: One 9-inch cake (12 servings)</span></p> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>For the cake:</em></span></p> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Butter for pan<br />1 cup Guinness stout<br />10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter<br />3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa<br />2 cups superfine sugar (I have used regular granulated sugar with no ill effects)<br />3/4 cup sour cream<br />2 large eggs<br />1 tablespoon vanilla extract<br />2 cups all-purpose flour<br />2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</span></p> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>For the topping:</em></span></p> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar<br />8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature<br />1/2 cup heavy cream</span></p> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>For the cake:</em> Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend.</span></p> <p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.</span></p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>For the topping: </em>Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.</span> </p><p style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.</span></p><br /></div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-669627311885343854.post-45339664980407217022009-04-07T13:00:00.000-07:002009-04-07T16:18:07.992-07:00The Return of Fresh Baked Bread<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-PX04dg6Qb8yXdDLrWibsog83fP7Hqpbl8S5TPLcw3bGAbXEG9wzlIs1-yTePF4uqOgD2Oa01NY91IoP21RAsxeUIDLebh0kho1kUn6CxVUXYyb6572Z4RmObpvhyphenhyphen_V5fmOJgplC1pJK/s1600-h/IMG_4706.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322034216077118146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-PX04dg6Qb8yXdDLrWibsog83fP7Hqpbl8S5TPLcw3bGAbXEG9wzlIs1-yTePF4uqOgD2Oa01NY91IoP21RAsxeUIDLebh0kho1kUn6CxVUXYyb6572Z4RmObpvhyphenhyphen_V5fmOJgplC1pJK/s400/IMG_4706.jpg" border="0" /></a>I finally made some real bread again. Having missed it for so <a href="http://brakeforbread.blogspot.com/2009/03/baking-withdrawls-getting-intense.html">long</a>, I wanted to make sure we had fresh bread all weekend so I planned on making two different recipes. In addition to finally trying the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html">Jim Lahey/Mark Bittman No-Knead Bread </a>that finally gave the confidence to countless home bakers to jump into the yeasted bread fray, (which I’ll blog soon – it’s easy and good) I also wanted to tackle a more substantial bread. I chose a recipe from Jeffrey Hamelman because of how much we like his bagel recipe – it is the only one to best <a href="http://brakeforbread.blogspot.com/2008/08/this-weekend-i-baked.html">Grandpa’s NY bagels</a>. Hamelman’s Rustic Bread recipe looked like a good counter to the all white flour of the No-Knead bread we baked. It is not a 100% whole wheat bread but the recipe does incorporate enough whole wheat and rye flours to give the bread some serious substance. He uses 10% Whole Wheat and 10% Rye, which would have been great, but unfortunately, I did not have rye in the house so I used 20% whole wheat. <p>In order to get all of this baked over the weekend and still hang out with the wife and kids (and finally do my taxes) I put together a schedule that started with mixing the pre-ferments for both recipes Friday night. Early Saturday afternoon I mixed, folded, rested, and shaped the doughs, and then baked both loaves later that afternoon. The No-Knead bread was broken into about an hour after it came out of the oven – we couldn’t wait any longer, we’ve been without for so long. We gave the Rustic Bread an appropriate rest and tore into it on Sunday.</p><p>Both bread ended up fantastic. The No-Knead bread (you’ll see photos soon) wasn’t gorgeous, but had fantastic crumb. The Rustic Bread had a hearty, but not overwhelming crust, a slightly denser, but very enjoyable crumb structure and wonderful taste. I have been eating it all week, sliced, toasted and covered with cream cheese and orange marmalade. Decadent I know, but an awesome breakfast.</p><p>I look forward to making this again with the rye flour and maybe working on my shaping and scoring.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322034228119427314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1U3-WTXUFK9H1KUynrxXCv09DeV6T85iOVNO0QPnwLdMfur9WefvU7aTIRMd6UzWFE6hv5ZrnhVLX4PCrw8CI2toTE_RlHVHhbjVDT_Vgx0K0-YD7e7ZGDkY0DbrB-kegibbcjAI7Mgc/s400/IMG_4707.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Rustic Bread</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Adapted from Jeffrey Hamelman<br /><br />50% pre-fermented flour<br />Makes 2 large loaves</span></p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Overall Formula:<br /></span></strong><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Bread Flour</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1 lb, 9.6 oz</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="126"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">80%</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Whole-wheat flour</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">6.4 oz</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="126"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">20%</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Water</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1 lb 6.1 oz</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="126"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">69%</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Salt</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">.6 oz</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="126"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1.8%</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Yeast</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">.06 oz, instant</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="126"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">.6%</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Total Yield </span></strong></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">3 lb, 6.7 oz </span></strong></p></td><td valign="top" width="126"><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">171.4% </span></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Pre-Ferment</span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> </span><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Bread flour</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1 lb (3 5/8 C)</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="77"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">100%</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Water</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">9.6 oz (1 ¼ C)</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="77"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">60%</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Salt</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">.3 oz (½ T)</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="77"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1.8%</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Yeast</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1/8 tsp, instant</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="77"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">.5%</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Total </span></strong></p></td><td valign="top" width="130"><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1 lb, 10 oz </span></strong></p></td><td valign="top" width="77"><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Final Dough<br /></span></strong><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Bread Flour</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="204"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">9.6 oz (2 ¼ C)</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Whole wheat flour</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="204"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">6.4 oz (1 ½ C)</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Water</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="204"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">12.5 oz (1 ½ C)</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Salt</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="204"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">.3 oz (½ T)</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Yeast</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="204"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">.06 oz instant (½ tsp)</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Pre-ferment</span></p></td><td valign="top" width="204"><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1 lb, 10 oz (all of above)</span></p></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="151"><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Total </span></strong></p></td><td valign="top" width="204"><p><strong><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">3 lb, 6.7 oz </span></strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">1. PRE-FERMENT: Disperse the yeast in the water, add the flour and salt, and mix until just smooth. At 60 percent hydration, it will be stiff and dense, but add water if necessary to correct the hydration. Cover the bowl with plastic and let stand for 12 to 16 hours at about 70°F. When ripe, the pre-ferment will be domed and just beginning to recede in the center.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">2. MIXING: Add all the ingredients to the mixing bowl except the pre-ferment. In a spiral mixer, mix on first speed for 3 minutes in order to incorporate the ingredients. As the dough is coming together, add the pre-ferment in chunks. If necessary, correct the hydration by adding water or flour in small amounts. Finish mixing on second speed for about 21⁄2 minutes. The dough should be supple and moderately loose, with moderate gluten development. Desired dough temperature: 75°F.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">3. BULK FERMENTATION: 21⁄2 hours.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">4. FOLDING: Fold the dough twice, once after 50 minutes of bulk fermentation and again 50 minutes later.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">5. DIVIDING AND SHAPING: Divide the dough into 1.5-pound pieces. Preshape lightly into rounds and place on a lightly floured work surface, seams up. Cover the rounds with plastic. When the dough has relaxed sufficiently (10 to 20 minutes), shape into round or oval loaves, place them either into floured bannetons or between folds of floured baker’s linen, and cover with plastic.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">6. FINAL FERMENTATION: Approximately 11⁄4 to 11⁄2 hours at 75°F.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">7. BAKING: Invert the risen loaves onto the loading conveyor or peel. Slash the desired scoring pattern with a blade. Presteam the oven, load the bread, and steam again. Bake at 450°F. Open the oven vents after the loaves show color, in order to finish the bake in a drying oven. Loaves scaled at 1.5 pounds should bake for 35 to 38 minutes.</span></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322034603495145362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSiRb-yN1UDj-HUdnuUqpHjpO6nTnH-QYkdic_031fDleJSGNCkFNeRG0QCeA2LbEVQu1W8PMKZOQyvi4brfN3XcBj0tYRpHM1_MXzsdtyrVFhvO7iYJ6SiyQ2G6CwzLOqKsJEJzmrqWyP/s400/IMG_4709.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><p> </p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Submitted to </span><a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/category/yeastspotting/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Yeastspotting </span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">over at </span><a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Wild Yeast</span></a></p>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00160907242106560036noreply@blogger.com7