Sunday, November 20, 2005

Beef Stew

Woke last week to 11°. Fahrenheit, Celsius...... doesn't matter....Seemed a good time to make one of my favorite cold weather meals, boeuf bourguignon. It's similar to our beef stew, but with the addition of some burgundy wine, thus the name beef burgundy. Of course, boeuf bourguignon is also attributed to the burgundy section of France.

There are as many variations to this dish as there are cooks/chefs. I like the one put together by two of the best, Julia Childs and Jacques Pépin in one of their co-authored books 'Julia and Jacques Cooking At Home'. Most of the time spent making this wonderfully robust meal is unattended cooking..... just letting the stew stew.

It has the usual aromatics, carrots, celery and onions, plus garlic (a natural for the burgundy area of France, or for that matter all of France) thyme, bay leaves and parsley. The cut of meat is the inexpensive chuck roast. The top blade can be substituted which requires removing the thick sinew in the middle of the muscle if you are using the cut for steaks. However, for stews, the meat should be cut into chunks in such a way that they contain all of this gelatinous material. It will melt and soften as the meat braises.

The cooking liquid is a bottle of sturdy red wine, preferably a pinot noir, and about 2 cups of dark stock. The dark stock can be made from scratch or take Julia's hint and use some low -sodium canned beef stock. In a saucepan add to the stock a handful of ½" chopped celery, carrots and onions along with a diced tomato. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain.

In addition, boeuf bourguignon has small white onions and mushrooms. Try to avoid pearl onions as they are too small and do not have the flavor of the the larger ones. The onions should be about 1¼" in diameter.

Recipe calls for servings of 6. Make extra 'cause this stew gets better with time. In fact, Julia suggests making this recipe in stages letting the flavors meld into one delicious bunch of meals.

Click title to get the recipe. Bon Apetit!

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Butterscotch

Pop loved all things butterscotch. He would splash, actually paste, some butterscotch sauce on anything that he thought called for a flavor boost... sometimes even if I thought the flavor could not be improved.

I've been experimenting with butterscotch for the past several weeks to find out why he thought this brown sugar treat was so delectable. Searched the web for some recipes...there are plenty. Baked one and didn't like it.

Looking through an old 'The Joy of Cooking', circa 1943, I found a butterscotch pie recipe. The recipes I've seen for this dessert appear similar but this one added another egg yolk to make it a richer filling. The results were a much improved butterscotch over my previous attempts. Also I found some of the techniques unnecessary, e.g., scalding the milk.

Make a single crust pie: combine 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar in a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add 4 tablespoons of chilled butter in pieces and pulse 4 times. Add 2 tablespoons chilled lard in pieces and pulse 3 times. Next add 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water until dough comes together. Add an additional tablespoon ice water if necessary.

When dough comes together place on a floured work surface and roll into a circle 1" in diameter larger than a 9" pie plate. Place into pie plate, line with parchment paper and add pie weights. I use a mess of navy beans. Bake in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes. Remove and brush with an egg wash. Bake for an additional 7 minutes. Cool.

Place butterscotch filling into pie plate, top with meringue and bake in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes. Let pie cool for 1 hour and chill for 3 to 6 hours to solidify filling.

Enjoy one of those butterscotch moments that Pop found so delicious.


Monday, September 19, 2005

Neiman-Marcus Cookies

I received an email about a public relations snafu at Nieman-Marcus. A lady and her daughter were lunching there and ordered the famous Nieman-Marcus Cookie for dessert. Mama found it to be of the usual high Nieman-Marcus standards and asked if she could get the recipe. The waitress declined to give it but would sell it to her for two-fifty. The amount was added to the luncheon bill.

When viewing her monthly statement sometime later, the customer discovered a $250 charge. When an inquiry was made to the accounting department, the green shaders told her in so many words, "c'est la vie"... nothing could be done.

Still upset that she had been 'ripped off', the woman informed Nieman-Marcus that she would publish the recipe and send it to all of her friends. Nieman-Marcus, of course, requested that she not carry out that act of retribution.

Needless to say, the recipe has been shared and a delicious one it is. The original makes 112 cookies. I halved it and also used a #20 disher - ice cream scoop - not quite filled. Still makes about 35 plump, mouth-watering cookies.

Click here to get the recipe. I'm kinda glad she published it. Think you will be too.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Grillin'

Back in the 90's I worked in Asia, mostly a few months each year in Hong Kong and southern China. No where have I had food as fresh as I did there.... the fish swims in a tank until you pick it out, then is prepared your favorite way. And the flavors of the foods I remember to this day. So, when I come across a recipe like this one that combines Asian flavors with grillin', I try it.

Butterflied Chicken with Asian Flavors - Preparation is about 15 to 20 minutes and cooking either on the grill or in the oven is about one hour.

Butterfly a chicken, 3½ to 4 lbs:
Have your butcher butterfly the bird (my daughter's recommendation). Alternatively, place breast side down. Cut along side of the backbone with a chef's knife or use poultry scissors to remove the bone. Slip your knife under the rib cage on one side and remove. Do the same on the other side. There are two bones that will be evident at the top of the chicken: remove these shoulder bones by cutting the meat on both sides and breaking off close to the joint. Turn the chicken over, cut along both sides of the wishbone, put your thumb at the top of the wishbone and remove. Next find the joint between the thigh and leg. Make a cut partially through the joint. This cut will ensure even cooking of the joint.

Take your fingers/thumb and loosen the skin from the breast, legs and thighs. Make the sauce and place some under the skin. Rub some of the sauce on the outside skin. Salt and pepper the underside.

Oven @ 425°F or grill on high. Half way through the cooking period baste with any remaining sauce.... or you can omit to get a crispy skin. Either way the flavors are what sold me on this recipe. The next time I cook this up, I plan to add about 1-2 teaspoons of grated ginger.

Saturday, August 06, 2005

More Seasonal pies

Picking up where I left off - on the joys of seasonal cooking: It's blueberry season so I made a blueberry pie - the filling from Rose Levy Beranbaum's book. My own crust, of course. This adaptation is one of the best, simply because only a portion of the filling is cooked, then added to the remaining berries.... keeps the filling from becoming mush. And as the plastic container advertises: this "miracle berry" is ranked #1 out of 40 fruits and vegetables for health benefits.

Beranbaum calls this an 'Open-faced Fresh Blueberry Pie'. Use your favorite pie crust for a single pie. Or try mine in last blog and cut the proportions in half. Use discretion in the reduction of the iced water... you might need more than half. Bake this pie crust completely for 45 to 50 min. After 30 min. cover the edge with foil to prevent overbrowning.

The recipe calls for a total of 4 cups of blueberries.... I used 5 cups. I like pies with lots of filling. Measure 1 cup of blueberries into a 3 quart saucepan together with ½ cup of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together in a small bowl 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.

When water and berries have come to a boil, lower heat and simmerr gently, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes or until berries start to burst and the juices begin to thicken. Stirring constantly add cornstarch mixture, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and salt. Simmer for a minute or until the mixture becomes translucent. Immediately remove from heat and quickly fold in the remaining berries.

Spoon the mixture into the baked pie crust and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving. When set, the berries will remain very juicy but will not flow out of the crust. Also you now have a filling that has the full flavor of full blueberries.

Monday, August 01, 2005

Seasonal Cooking

Summer cooking takes advantage of the wide array of garden fruits and veggies. Fruit pies have become my favorite in the past few years.....mainly because of the ease of making a consistent pie crust.

Seems that every cookbook has its own version of a pie crust. Browsing the recent Cook's Illustrated, I find they've come up with another version of the quintessential pie crust.

There is little difference between Cook's Illustrated recipe and Jacques Pepin's pie crust which he's been making for 50 years. Both use all butter, ice water and flour.
Some cookbooks suggest a combination of butter and lard/shortening. Shortening is hydrogenated soy or cottonseed oil with all the good parts destroyed in the process. Alton Brown of FoodTV uses 3 parts butter to 1 part lard in his crusts. The one I use calls for salt and sugar added to the flour before addition of the fats. All the recipes I've seen, except Pepin's, suggest resting the pie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Pepin states that if the processing is kept to a minimum, the dough should be ready to roll immediately. I use his method. Experiment and find the right combination for you.

Oven @400°. For a two-part pie dough place ½ cup of water in a measuring cup and add 3 or 4 ice cubes. Take 2 cups of flour (scoop and scrape) and place in a processor. Add a pinch of salt and sugar. Pulse to mix. Cut 12 ounces of unsalted butter into ¼" slices and then quarter these pieces. Add to processor and pulse 4 times for about 1 second (count 1001). Measure 1/3 cup of iced water and splash about half into the processor. Process for about 5 seconds. Flour should just about come together. Splash about 1 to 1½ tablespoons more. Process until dough comes together into a ball. Stop at this point. When the dough is pinched and it holds its shape, remove from processor and place on a floured surface.

Divide the dough into two parts. Roll one part into a 12" circle to fit your pie plate. Place into the pie plate and cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to place on top of the dough. Add a bunch of beans for weights and place in a 400° oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, remove parchment and weight, wash with a mixture of 1 egg beaten and 1 teaspoon of water. This will waterproof the shell from the liquid of the filling. Bake an additional 7 minutes. I use this process for all baked and unbaked pies. It makes the crust crisper for the baked pies.

Two fillings I recently used from Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Pie and Pastry Bible are for a peach pie and one for a blueberry pie. Both fruits are ripe for using in pies in my locale now. Her pie crusts are different from those above,so try it if you like them.

For the peach pie, use 2 3/4 pounds of peaches (about 8 medium - I use 9 or 10), peeled, pitted and sliced thinly. Macerate the peaches in a 3 quart non-reactive mixing bowl - stainless or glass - by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of ½ lemon), ½ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar and a pinch of salt. Mix gently and let stand for a minimum of 30 minutes up to 1 hour. Transfer peaches to a colander over a small saucepan to collect the almost 1 cup of juice.

Reduce the liquid to 1/3 cup until syrupy and lightly caramelized. Transfer peaches back into the mixing bowl used for macerating them and add 4 teaspoons cornstarch and ½ teaspoon almond extract. Mix until all traces of cornstarch are dissolved. Pour syrup over peaches, tossing gently. Transfer mixture to pie shell.

Roll out pie dough to fit on top or alternatively, cut into strips ½" wide for a lattice top. Top pie with your choice topping, place in 425° oven for 45 to 50 minutes. After 30 minutes, if using a lattice top, cover the edges with foil to prevent overbrowning.

Let pie cool on rack at least 3 hours before cutting.


Wednesday, July 20, 2005

House Chores

Things have been pretty hectic around here for the past several weeks. Started a project to insulate a part of the back entry that the contractors negliently overlooked many years ago. The temperature soared here in the tundra so my work days were cut back to 3 hours or so.

Also, over the many years I have collected about 350 vinyl 33 rpm assorted jazz/vocals. Unfortunately, in my youth I abused the devil out of my vinyls. And in todays world, or at least mine, playing a vinyl is a posterior pain. Therefore, the vinyls were stored.

Improperly, so our kids told me. One of our children's friends borrowed a couple of albums, cleaned them up and sent the results. Got rid of most if not all of the youthful abuse to those selected vinyls.
Pretty impressive. That started the process for me to do the same. Our daughter's boyfriend has a bunch of knowledge concerning the electronics world. At first, it was suggested to record directly from a cd with an audio cd burner. However, after reading an article in the local fish wrapper, I investigated a program by Diamond Cut Products.

Spoke with a couple of the guys at Diamond Cut who were very helpful to me. Eventually I bought the program plus some ancillary products necessary for me to complete my mission. For the past couple of weeks I have worked with DC6 and the personnel at Diamond Cut. The process to restore is a lot more involved than the journey that takes you to that point.
The learning curve is not shallow but the results are worth the effort.

Since our kids have both expressed an interest in the vinyls, I am sure that they will be equally eager to get copies of the restored versions. At any rate, once again I am enjoying the sounds of my youth without the scratches, crackle and hiss.


Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Banana Cream Pie

Is there a better way to get one's daily supply of potassium than through a big helping of banana cream pie? Maybe, but why deprive yourself of the pleasure of this one? My wife's art colleague calls it the banana cream pie diet.

The first recipe I tried was from the Joy of Cooking, circa mid 20th century. It was simple enough but the filling was too thin and the pie ran when at room temperature. Also, a lot of cream pies not only call for cream in the filling but also the topping. My sweetie thought a meringue would be a nice touch. Always nice when someone is looking out for your belt size.

The next recipe I looked at was one by entertainer-disguised-as-chef, Emeril Lagasse. This dude really loves bananas. For a 9" pie he uses 9 bananas cut into ½" pieces. That's more potassium than most people get in a year. I do like the filling
, however, which seems to be just about right.

So, it's modification time in the kitchen. We just finished the first pie... It was well received. Now on to the second recipe. This place is quickly becoming a local test kitchen but no one here seems to object.

For the pie dough: Oven @400°F. Chill ¼ cup of water by placing several ice cubes into a measuring cup and fill with water. Next weigh 6 ounces, about 1 cup, of all purpose flour and add it to your food processor. Add pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar. Take 3 ounces of butter, cut into ¼" to ½" slices and then quarter the slices. Place into the processor bowl and pulse 4 times. Do the same with 1 ounce of lard, place into the processor bowl and pulse 3 times. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and pulse 4-5 times. Dough should just start to come together. Add another tablespoon of water and run processor until dough comes together into a ball.

Remove from processor bowl onto a well-floured surface and roll to fit a 9" pie pan. Place into pie pan, cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to fit into the pie pan on top of the dough and come up the sides about 3 inches. Wax paper is a substitute. Spray the bottom of the paper with a food spray, place on top of dough and fill with a weight. I use dry beans... the same beans for the past 10 years. Bake for 35 minutes, remove from oven and remove the weight and paper. Save the weight for the next time. Make an egg wash with 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Mix well and wash the pie dough with a pastry brush. Bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Click here or the title to get the filling. As I mentioned earlier this is adapted from Emeril's recipe from FoodTV. I use only 2 cups of heavy cream. You can use another 2 cups of heavy cream for the topping. Follow the instructions for the meringue in the recipe and sub the cream top. You can use 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead of the bean. Save the egg whites for a meringue top.

Friday, June 17, 2005

Frittatas

Frittatas are the Italian version of an omelette. Or it could be my sister-in-law's version: the add whatever's-in-the -fridge to the eggbeaters recipe. I thought there had to be a better way to make this seemingly simple Italian dish and at the same time trying to keep it on the level of an omelette.

About a year ago, Sandy D'Amato of Sandford's Restaurant in Milwaukee, wrote about a trip he had taken to Trieste, Italy. It was asparagus season and this delightful vegetable was every where. Sandy shared his Asparagus Frittata with his local fans. I clipped the article and finally made it this past week. My only explanation for waiting so long to try this was fear of add-whatever to 'beaters.

Try this easy, delightful meal. Had to substitute local bacon for the pancetta, unfortunately. Pancetta is cured but not smoked bacon. If you have to make this substitution, be wary of the first addition of salt. Also, put under a hot broiler for 3 minutes. 4 seems to make it too dry for me.

Monday, June 13, 2005

New York Style Cheesecake

Stick-to the-roof-of-your-mouth-capabilities: that's New York Style Cheesecake . It is pure, unadulterated cheesecake with no fancy ingredients added either to the cheesecake or placed on top of it. It's made with pure cream cheese, cream, eggs, and sugar, writes Linda Stradley at her web site What's Cooking America.I was first introduced to Turf's cheesecake when they were shipping from 85th street and York avenue in Manhattan. Didn't have to go across town to get the cake at their restaurant since I lived at 83rd and East End. I think they made the quintessential stick-to-the-roof of your mouth cheesecake. I remember that there was no crust on the ones I ate, but I don't know if that is NY style, or Turf's variation.

Long after I left the city, my brother would occasionally send me one. Always had to be the plain vanilla type cheesecake, nothing added.

An occasional NY cheesecake is not enough. Somewhere along the way I found this recipe and started making my own. It makes a bunch of cheesecake. This recipe is as close to Turf's as you can get.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Salad Dressings

Salad Dressing. One of the easiest items of a meal to prepare yet one of the most overlooked. Many cooks spend hours in the kitchen preparing one of their best meals.... and then serve the salad with supermarket dressing.

Whether you're prepping for a 30 min. meal, ala Food TV's Rachel Ray, or for the spread that takes several hours to prepare, an outstanding salad dressing takes only minutes.

Vinagrettes are probably the most misunderstood dressing yet the simplest to make. The reason I say misunderstood is people think it's difficult to make...not so. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of a vinegar or citrus with 6 tablespoons of oil, olive or vegetable. Add seasonings to taste and voila! an easy- to-do topping to your fresh greens. Change the quantity of oil to suit your taste buds. According to Julia Childs herbs of your choice are optional as is dry mustard. I prefer to use a wet mustard such as a Dijon type.
Don't forget the salt and pepper. Julia also suggests adding all ingredients to a screw-top jar and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to blend thoroughly.

Another easy salad dressing is Thousand Island which Sandy D'Amato wrote about in recent edition of the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal . It had been years since I had tried a Thousand Island dressing and it was a bottled one from the local supermarket.

Not any more. Sandy suggested that the lowly iceberg lettuce would be an excellent foil for this Thousand Island dressing. Made several hours ahead and chilled, it was just as he described it. His recipe serves four. I always make a double batch. Use it for dipping things like al dente asparagus. Just a couple, of course, since the dressing is a bit on the rich side.

At any rate, try it and let me know. Click the title or here to get the recipe.

Friday, June 03, 2005

Rhubarb Pie

Spring in the tundra (sorta north of Milwaukee, WI) means almost 70 degrees and rhubarb in the garden...even in the grocery stores. Rhubarb is generally eaten as a fruit but it is technically a vegetable (a member of the buckwheat family actually). The only edible portion of the plant are the thick celery-like stalks which can reach up to two feet long.

Mom used to make an excellent rhubarb pie... until she started adding the strawberries, the oranges, whatever was in the fridge. Adding the berries is a tradition in this country, so I've read, but I'm a purist. A neighbor has a small patch of rhubarb and never seems to run out...it was the source of Mom's pies for years and I've discreetly invited myself to carry on the tradition.

Rhubarb is really tart and so is cooked with a lot of sugar. Wash the stalks, trim the ends and slice into 1/2" pieces. Should have about 4 cups. Add 1¼ cups sugar and 3 tablespoons of tapioca ground fine in a spice mill. Combine until rhubarb is well covered.

For the crust put two cups flour into a processor along with a pinch of salt and a bit more sugar. Pulse a couple of time to mix. Add 4 tablespoons of chilled butter cut into small cubes of about ¼" and pulse the processor 4 to 5 times. Next add 2 tablespoons lard cut in small cubes and pulse 3 to 4 times.
The mixture should have the texture of small peas.

Add 2 tablespoons of ice cold water and pulse 3 to 4 times. Dough should almost come together. Add 2 more tablespoons of ice cold water and pulse until dough forms a ball. A bit more water may be needed.

Oven @ 400°. Remove dough to floured surface and roll out until 1/8" thick. Remember you will need extra for the top. Cut the dough to fit your pie plate. Spray a piece of parchment paper with food spray and place on the dough and fill with a weight. I use navy beans. The same ones for over 10 years. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and remove beans and parchment paper. Wash the surface of the pie dough with one egg + 1 tablespoon of water. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.

Remove from oven and add filling. Cut the remaining pie dough into ½" strips for a lattice top. Dot the top of the pie with 2 tablespoons of butter cut into small cubes. Bake for 40 minutes or until nicely browned and bubbly.

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Incomplete Reporting

Being a tennis fan, I was watching Tommy Robredo and Marat Safin match yesterday and viewed some outstanding shots made by both players. I was particularly impressed how Safin seemed to have his demons under control. At least as of late.

However, about midway through the match, up jumped the devil. Safin was not playing particularly well at the moment, tossed his racket a couple of times and was given a warning. A little later the demons reappeared, broke his racket, went to the sideline to retrieve a new one and slammed the broken racket into the signage under his chair.

Thereafter, the demons seemed to disappear mainly because Safin improved his play. Then in the 5 set game 14 with the score 7-6 (no tie breakers at Roland Garros) Robredos was serving score love-30. Robredos served and the ball was called out. Safin approached the mark and over ruled the line call. Robredo served out and won the match.

Later that day I was watching CNN Headline News who showed the demonical episode twice within 2 minutes. Nothing was said of the line over rule.

Seems to me that if CNN only reports the bad stuff - that which sells - they then sully not only the reputation of whom they are reporting but also themselves making their reporting questionable.

Love to hear from you.

Monday, May 23, 2005

Lemon Meringue Pie

My sweetie loves things lemon. Lemon chicken, lemon and almond tart and now a new addition, Lemon Meringue Pie. Alton Brown of FoodTV recently made a lemon meringue pie.... my first attempt at making the crust and filling with his recipe were not satisfactory....a soggy crust and a soupy center.

First, let me recap the crust. Alton uses a combination of butter and lard. He also refrigerates the crust several times along the way. ( Note: This dude is a food geek and has some compelling scientific reasons for cooking food his way. We chatted at the recent House Wares Show at Chicago's McCormick Place. I mentioned that he appeared a little off the wall on his Food Channel cooking show... he replied "maybe more than a little".)

I like the combination of the butter and lard because of the flakier result in the crust. Alton's recipe calls for cooking the crust less than 25 min. at 375°F. I prefer to cook the crust for 40 to 45 min. at 400°F. Wash with egg & water and return to the oven for another 7 to 8 min.

Alton's crust recipe, except for baking time: Oven @ 400°F. Three ounces unsalted butter and one ounce chilled lard, cut into pieces. Place 1 cup of flour into food processor, add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar (Pinches are normally about ½ teaspoon). Add butter and pulse 5 to 6 times. Add lard and pulse another 3 to 4 times. Mixture should be somewhat granular. Remove lid and add about 3 to 4 Tbsp. ice cold water. Pulse again until mixture just comes together in the bowl.

Place on a floured surface and roll into a 10" to 11" circle. Place dough into a 9" pie plate. Puncture surface with a fork. Cover dough with parchment paper and fill with dough weights, such as beans. Bake for 35 to 40 min. Remove from oven and take the beans and paper out of the shell (
save beans for next time). With an egg wash, brush the entire surface and bake for 7 to 8 min.

I adjusted his filling for the pie and used only 1/3 cup of lemon juice instead of 1/2 cup. The lesser amount of juice makes the filling a bit more solid... and it gives the pie the right amount of lemon flavor for me.

Click the title to view recipe.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Grilled Chicken

Spring temperature edged briefly above 70° this past week and there was a mighty rush for outdoors, esp. grilling outdoors. After a loooong winter, the storm windows come off and I turned on the gas and fired up the barbie.

Today's offering is about as easy as can be for the dining table: grilled chicken rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.

First, butterfly the chicken by removing the backbone. Place the chicken on its breast and run a sharp knife along both sides of the back bone to remove it. An alternative would be to use kitchen scissors. Slightly split the breast bone to make the chicken lie flat. Find the joint between the leg and thigh and slice half way through. This will ensure that the dark meat will cook through.

You can remove the shoulder bones that stick up by cutting them at the joint. To make it easier to cut up after cooking, turn the chicken over, run a paring knife along each side of the wishbone. Place your thumb on the top of the bone and remove. Recently I talked my daughter in LA thru this butterfly thing...several call-backs later, she informed me that the butcher would do this for free. That's an option.

Rub your choice of oil, olive or vegetable, all over the chicken. Season well with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place skin side up on medium grill for 15 minutes. If the flame is too high, you may experience flame ups so keep a bottle of water handy along with the beverage of your choice - mine is homebrew. Turn every 15 minutes until done. A 3½ to 4 pound bird will take about an 40 to 45 minutes. The skin will be browned and crisp.

Remove from the grill and cut into serving pieces.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Lemon and Almond Tart

A lemon tart - isn't that redundant? It might be but this one with an almond flavored pastry has just the right balance of tart and sweetness. I came across this recipe about 20 years ago in Cook's Magazine. Significant changes have been made to the crust but not to the filling.

The original pastry called for almond paste which was hard to find at that time. I substitute Orgeat syrup, available at any liquor store. Use only 3 tablespoons if you are using the syrup. Also, I use unsalted butter for better control.

The pastry is easiest made in a food processor. After all ingredients for the pastry are added to the processor, pulse until a ball is formed. Since it is a sweet dough, it is immediately available to shape. Roll it to the size of your fluted, removable bottom pie tin and press into all flutes. The pastry should be the same height as the pan.

I like to bake the pastry for about 20 minutes weighted by beans on top of wax paper. Remove the wax paper and beans, wash with an egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked, and bake for an additional eight minutes.

Add the filling and bake for 22 minutes or until filling is set. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.

Click the title to get the recipe.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

A roast chicken with a crisp, seasoned skin takes little time and effort to prepare and the outcome is a wonderfully delicious all-in-one-pot meal. Peel some root vegetables and roast for 1½ hours.

Lots of recipes for a roasted chicken leave the final product with a so-so appearance and not so appetizing skin. The kind of skin that you want to remove. I like to roast my chickens at temperatures above 400°F and sometimes start them at 450°F + for 15 minutes or so just to get the proper texture of skin, crispy. This crispy skin is hard to resist.

In this recipe, the chicken shares the roasting pan with whatever root vegetables you want to use, is turned twice during the first 30 minutes and maintains a roasting temperature of 425°F. We like fennel (anise root) and use it most times. Carrots and potatoes are a staple. Experiment with onions and parsnips. If you want to brown the vegetables more evenly, stir them after 45 minutes.

Fresh oregano is best but dried is also acceptable. If using fresh, double the quantity.

Click here or the title to get the recipe.

Monday, April 04, 2005

Steak au Poivre

We have been enjoying steak au poivre, a French version of steak with peppercorns, for many years. However, in the beginning many years ago in Atlanta, my consistency of producing an outstanding sauce was spotty.

Steak au Poivre is a rib eye/shell steak, about 1 1/2" thick. A one pound tenderloin can also be used. Cracked pepper corns are pressed into the meat on both sides, then sauteed in oil and butter. Julia Child and Jacques Pépin update the dish by using a mixture of black, green, white and Jamaican peppercorns, which is really allspice. The steaks are then removed from the pan and kept warm. Shallots are sauteed for 30 seconds, cognac added and flamed to remove the alcohol. Many recipes next call for a well-flavored stock. My success using a flavored stock was limited.

After some research I made a brown veal stock/demi-glace. A demi-glace is a rich veal stock reduced to a gelatin like consistency. Once finished and cooled it can be sliced, wrapped in plastic wrap and then wrapped with aluminum foil. It can then be frozen and stored for months. According to Jacques Pepin it will keep almost 'indefinitely' without spoiling. I make a batch about every 1 1/2 years. Now my Steak au Poivre has the wonderful, elegant sauce that it so richly deserves.

The addition of a tablespoon of butter in the sauce is the last step. Spoon over the steak, sprinkle liberally with chopped parsley and serve. Bon Appetit!


Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Tuna and Olive Salad

As a kid I remember my mom's frequent tuna salad. Open can and over load with Kraft Miracle Whip. I've eaten this same recipe countless times in restaurants, or the stuffed tomato variation. Never knew there was another way, that is until I saw Sara Moulton's Tuna and Olive Salad Sandwich on FoodTV/Gourmet. It's tuna salad with tasty zip... and only 1/4 cup of mayo.

Click on the title to get Sara's recipe, tho' I've modified it a little. I like roasted peppers - charring the skin, letting the pepper steam in a closed container for 10 minutes and peeling. Then remove the core and veins and finely chop. Recipe calls for 1/2 cup but I use the entire pimento along with the juices, about one tablespoon. I think the peeled pepper adds a smoother flavor.

Sara calls for mayo. I like Hellmann's rich flavor. Make sure you use Kalamata olives, not the bland California type. I use any bread or eat it right out of the bowl. Can't go wrong.

Click here or the title to get the recipe.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Choucroute Garnie

Last fall my sweetie was in Bar-Le-Duc, France ( about half way between Paris and Strasbourg). At the home of friends, she dined on choucroute garnie. The cook prepared this one-pot meal of sauerkraut and wursts to spotlite Alsatian region foods.

A food article in the New York Times a while ago was all about choucroute garnie. RW Apple Jr. wrote "Across the Rhine, Sauerkraut is even Sweeter". He pointed out that only the Alsatians would dare call such a parade of pig products a "garnish". It is as noble in its own way as foie gras, another of the area's traditional gastronomic delights, he wrote. I say it's definitely worth putting in your own recipe file.

Americans typically buy canned sauerkraut and serve it with hot dogs, pork, bratwurst. Apple insists that only bulk sauerkraut from a good purveyor be used. Never canned.

As to the types of meat? That is cook's choice. One thing I learned when I made it last week was that a variety of sausages cooked together for 1 1/2 hours all taste about the same. My wife says her Bar-Le-Duc hostess might have sauted the sausages and then added them 15 to 20 min. before serving so that they maintain their individual flavors. (This based on her recollection that the sauerkraut was not overwhelmed by the sausage flavor, fat, etc.....and mine was, says she)

Of course, the French will use a wine as part of the braising medium. In this case, a Riesling. Along with the wine, they will also incorporate a stock of some sort, chicken or pork.

I agree with NYT's Apple, the dish is a delight. Click the title to get his recipe.

If you do a search in FoodTV for choucroute garnie, you will find 4 recipes. Or better yet, Google or Yahoo for more choices. Seems that any would be worth trying...I plan to do just that.

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Boiled Irish Dinner

Typically, every March, we will have a boiled Irish Dinner, corned beef. Braise it for several hours, about 40 minutes per pound, along with wedges of cabbage, carrots and potatoes. To finish the brisket, slather it with a good quality mustard and top that with brown sugar. Roast it in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

However, for the last couple of years I have been buying the brisket and corning it myself. Corning a brisket is relatively easy which yields a more controlled, flavorful product. Add 8 ounces of canning/pickling salt, 3 ounces of powdered dextrose and 3 ounces of cure/salt peter to 5 quarts of water. Place brisket into pan, add a packet of pickling spices and place into a 40 degree refrigerator for 3-4 days for a 4 pound brisket, 5-6 days for a larger brisket.

Remove brisket from brine, place it into a large pan, cover with water, add 6 cloves, 2 cloves garlic finely chopped, 3 bay leaves and 2 onions halved. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 40 minutes per pound. Remove meet and add cut up potatoes and carrots for 10 minutes. Then add cabbage wedges for an additional 20 minutes. Meanwhile glaze and roast the meat.

An alternative to the veggies is to make a colcannon, a creamy combination of mashed potatoes, sauteed leeks and cooked, chopped cabbage. Colcannon can be made anytime not just for St. Patty's day. But at least once a year, we indulge.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Smoking Meats

Growing up I remember my folks were often given smoked turkeys for the holidays. Tasty. But I also remember that the meat was dry / very dry....needed lots of mayo. As a cooking adult I have eaten all kinds of smoked products. Fish seems to weather the process best.( I was always told It was "supposed" to be flaky - meaning well cooked... and dry.) A move to southeast Wisconsin in the early 80's was right for smoking my own.

I cleared a place in the garage, stripped the insides of an old refrigerator and placed a couple of hot plates on the bottom. After much reading, mainly in Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas, I concluded that smoked doesn't have to mean dry. Control factors are the brining process, cooking time and internal temperature ( this one you have to really watch). But I quickly learned that it was going to take a whole lot more than hot plates and a how-to book.

The hot plates were mainly for smoke; heat was secondary. To maintain a steady flow of smoke the hot plates had to be on constantly. No temperature control resulted in a smoky product - but cooked too fast, too dry. I tried using the hot plates as a temperature control but the meat was missing the desired smoky flavor.

So I bought another used refrigerator: gutted it and got rid of all the plastic; insulated it and lined it with stainless steel. I bought the innards: heating element, blower fan, thermostat and temperature control and smoke generator. Now I have a smoker that can process in excess of 100 pounds with somewhat accurate temperature and smoke control. The finished product is some of the best I've tasted - cooked, smoky...and moist!.

These days I have a bit more respect for those who smoked that dry turkey of my youth. The smoking process for this bird can take up to 18 hours. I needed a way to start the smoking, real early, so I wouldn't be up past midnight. I figured the X-10 system that turned house lights on/off could turn on the smoker and all of its elements in the proper sequence. So I rigged some pilot lites to indicate on/off (this entire contraption is in our unattached garage)

At first, it worked well. Now the smoke generator and smoker could be sequenced starting at an early hour. I chose 3 am. Then during my nocturnal peregrinations, I could check the status of the smoker. But the X-10 system uses the electrical lines to send signals and some appliances can send static through the lines to turn on/off those lights/items. FYI, filters are not always reliable.

Had to go back to the drawing board. I decided to copy the controller in my brewery. It uses an old Allen-Bradley programmable controller along with an Omega temperature controller. Now all I have to do is to set the start time and the AB controller does the rest. An added benefit using the Omega temperature controller is that the temperature can be changed four times during the process. The temperature starts at 130°F for four hours then is raised 20° every four hours ending at 190°F.




If this is more electronics than you want, I can only say that the electronics provide consistency. Now I can smoke turkey, chicken, pork, fish and any other product to a moist, smoky finish. Makes my mouth water.

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Chicken Fricassee

Cacciatora or Seville Style. Whether you're in Italy or Spain, here is chicken in a pot. Cacciatora means hunter style in Italian and since there has always been a hunter in nearly every Italian household, every Italian prepares a dish with a claim to that description according to Marcella Hazan.

There are only a couple of ingredients separating the two styles. Marcella uses a carrot and celery stalk whereas Betty Wason in The Art of Spanish Cooking uses pimentos and stuffed olives.
I use manzanilla olives from Spain. Much more flavorful.

A 3 pound chicken is cut into six to eight pieces - breasts with wings on (remove first joint) cut into two pieces each, thighs and legs. Dust the parts with flour and sprinkle salt and pepper over all. I put about a handful of flour into a medium baggy along with the salt and pepper. Put one or two pieces in at a time and shake until well covered. Open bag, shake off excess flour and place on a platter. Repeat.

Both recipes call for red peppers. Betty's uses pimentos. Take two red peppers, char the skin under the broiler or gas stove top. When totally blackened, place into a paper bag for 10 minutes. Remove from bag and peel off the charred skin. Core and save the juices - a wonderful addition to the cooking liquid. Should be about a tablespoon. Next de-vein the pimentos and thinly slice ala julienne.

Peel two tomatoes or use about 1 cup of canned tomatoes, chopped. Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil - vegetable if your Italian, olive if your Spanish - in a large sauté pan until smoking, about 3 minutes. Add chicken parts and brown for about 5 minutes each side. Remove to platter and keep warm.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan, add 1 medium chopped onion, pimentos, 2 garlic cloves, minced and cook until onion softens, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, ¼ cup white wine, 1 cup chicken broth/stock and 1 tablespoon brandy. Simmer until well blended and puréed. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Add dark meat to pan and simmer 15 minutes, partially covered. Next add white meat and cook an additional 10 minutes. If using a larger chicken increase cooking time. Garnish with 12 manzanilla olives, sliced.

Serve immediately.

Add the sliced carrot and celery stalk after browning chicken for additional flavor ala Marcella.

You can't go wrong with either version. Holler if you want either recipe in the original.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Maple-Glazed Pork Roast

Pork, the other white meat. Pork producers have bread a lean pork product that some processors of are enhancing by injecting it with a water/salt/sodium phosphate solution to season the meat and improve juiciness. I prefer to control the taste of pork so I get it from the local butcher shop or from the supermarket where I know I can get un-enhanced pork.

Inside America's Test Kitchen (Cook's Illustrated) has a Maple-Glazed Pork Roast that we recently tried. It is well worth the venture even though they state 'This dish is unapologetically sweet'. Yes, it does have a sweet crust which has little influence on the rest of the roast.

They also offer four variations of the same recipe. Three alternatives are additives such as grated orange zest, star anise pods and smoked hot paprika. The other is a substitute - rosemary for the spices.

Easy to do. Click the title to get the recipe.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Arroz con Pollo

Rice with chicken. And saffron. A combination that we enjoy often. I first came upon arroz con pollo through The Art of Spanish Cooking by Betty Wason. Ms. Wason traveled extensively and part of her sojourns took her to Spain. The cookbook contains many easy-to-do recipes that are a joy.

The original recipe calls for a small - 2½ pound - chicken cut up, lean ham or Canadian bacon, pimentos and chicken broth. A larger chicken is fine to use just increase the cooking time. On occasion I have substituted chorizo for the lean ham or bacon. Also, I prefer to make my own pimentos by charring a red pepper on a gas stove until the skin is blackened, then cover it for 10 minutes so the skin loosens. You can also place it into a paper bag. The idea is to let the pepper steam to loosen the skin.

Since we like a lot of saffron rice, the quantity has been increased by 50% along with an increase in liquid. The original recipe called for ¼ cup of olive oil - use extra virgin which leaves the rice a little to oily for my tastes. Even though the original recipe calls for ½ teaspoon salt, be generous when seasoning the chicken. Some of the salt is lost during sautéing. I like the flavor of kosher salt.

Ms. Wason
claims that by adding the chicken parts to the pan and covering for 15 to 20 minutes will finish the cooking of the chicken. Since I use larger chickens I finish the cooking this way: In order to ensure that the breasts are not overcooked, place the dark meat into the casserole/sauté pan into the oven for 10-15 minutes, then add the chicken breast for the last 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. I use the sauté pan for a one pan meal instead of placing ingredients into a casserole.

Click the title to get the recipe. As always, I enjoy hearing from you.


Thursday, February 24, 2005

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Seems that chocolate chippers are big time favorites. Kind like cherry or apple pie. My sweetie, Mary Ann, used to make nestleé Toll House chippers regularly. For some unknown reason to me she stopped making them. Years ago.

Then about two weeks ago I was watching Alton Brown on the Food TV channel. His fanaticism that day focused on none other than chocolate chippers. He spent the entire 30 minute program making three variations of the delicious chippers. The first was The Thin. He and his helper (looked a lot like the cookie monster) explained why and how the cookies were flat. Next Mr. Brown made a batch of what he calls The Puffy. On cue his cookie monster told us why. Last was The Chewy.

I tried the chewy variation. Big. Bold. And full of chips. Nestlé, semi-sweet chocolate chips. MA asked what the difference was between Toll House cookies and The Chewy. Seems very little. But then maybe that was Mr. Brown's point. Only small changes make big changes in the texture of the of the finished cookie.

At any rate, I'm on to the next batch, The Thin. Why don't you try them and let me know. Betcha can't go wrong with any 'em.


Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Planning a Class Reunion?


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For starters, enter all your classmate eMail addresses and post the members of the reunion committee plus the meeting dates. My Class Reunion.exe will bulk eMail everybody in a matter of minutes. (of course, the program can also send one at a time)

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Try My Class Reunion.exe for 30 days. Click here to download the program.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Flan

Flan as described by 'Food Lover's Companion' is 1. a round pastry tart that can have a sweet or savory filling. 2. A famous Spanish baked custard coated with caramel. One of the yummiest desserts in my stable of recipes is 'the famous Spanish baked custard''.

Easy to make and a treat for dessert. Many flan that I have tasted had a coarse, rubbery texture that is not appealing to me. This one by Foods of the World is a smooth custard on the order of crème caramel.

My version is a little different from the original in that I do not place orange segments in the flan cup before adding the custard. Start by heating the water and sugar until it cystalizes and darkens. Keep in the mind that the Spanish like a dark, almost burnt sugar to offset the sweetness of the custard. Experiment with the color until you get it the way you like it.

When the sugar is the right color pour about 1½ tablespoons into a 5 to 6 ounce soufflé dish. They are available at gourmet shops and Bed, Bath and Beyond. Swirl the sugar mixture to cover the bottom. Next make the custard by bringing the milk to a boil with the cinnamon sticks and zest of orange. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.

While the milk is coming to the simmer, add sugar to eggs in mixing bowl until well blended. In a thin stream, add hot milk mixture. Pour into soufflé dishs, add to baking pan. Add enough boiling water to come 2/3 the way up the soufflé dishes. Bake for 45 minutes.

Click title to get the recipe and enjoy your just desserts.

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Pretzels

Can't have homebrew without the accompanying nibblers. Since I get the Home Brew Digest delivered via email daily, I am the recipient of one mighty fine recipe. Jeff Renner, one of the homebrewers who is also a commercial baker, posted this recipe some time ago. Can't go wrong using a pretzel recipe from a commercial baker who is also a homebrewer.

Shortly after reading about the pretzels, I found the salt that seems to be a requirement for pretzels. Unfortunately, the next ingredient, lye, took me a little longer to find. At about the same time I found the lye, FoodTV had a show about pretzels and suggested baking soda as the ingredient of choice.

Jeff's original recipe called for 2 tablespoons yeast and a rise of 30 minutes. I decided to use 1 tablespoon instant yeast and let rise for one hour, which is similar in time and quantity for some of my other flour recipes. I also cut the amount of sugar in half; first batch was kinda sweet for me.

He suggests using siliconed parchment paper. Spraying the baking sheet with a food grade non-stick spray works equally as well. I also use a large dutch oven so I can boil five or six at a time.

Click here to get the recipe.

Easy to do and a treat when you are quenching your thirst.

Friday, February 04, 2005

Satanic Fudge Brownies

Satanic Fudge Brownies. That is what Caroline Romanski calls her recipe for some of the most decadent chocolate brownies made. 27 ounces of bittersweet chocolate balanced with 20 ounces of sugar and eight ounces of flour. Oh, don't forget the six extra-large eggs.

Since we do this only ever so occassionally, jump into it and try some. Easy to make - takes about 20-25 minutes to mix - and devilishly good. In fact they are so chocolatey that they could use some créme anglaise to help mellow them a bit. But then, that adds more eggs, sugar and cream. Don't want to do that. Just take smaller portions of the brownies. If you can.

Somewhere I read that Scharffen Berger chocolate was THE choclate to use. This time I used the ordinary grocery store kind. Next time will be Scharffen Berger 70% bittersweet.

Click on the title to get the recipe. And then give your tongue a sleigh ride.

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Breaded Meats

Sometime ago America's Test Kitchen came up with a recipe for a tasty, easy to make chicken breast. Although they use dried Panko bread crumbs, I think a viable alternative is to use fresh crumbs. Jacques Pépin has said repeatedly that by using fresh bread crumbs a much smaller amount of fat is absorbed. Try it both ways and you decide.

First, let me share with you a very easy to do recipe I saw Jacques make. Start with a pork tenderloin cut into 1¼" rounds. Place a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper over them and flatten with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy sauce pan. Should be 1/8" thick. Mix one egg in a flat pasta type bowl with 1 tablespoon water. Mix thoroughly.
Take three pieces of bread. Cut into cubes and place into a processor. Pulse until you have bread crumbs. Place crumbs into a flat pasta type bowl. Mix in salt and pepper to taste.

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon oil until foam subsides. Meanwhile, dip each cutlet first into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs. Place into hot sauté pan and sauté about 2 minutes on first side. Turn over and sauté for another 1½ minutes.

Serve with your favorite vegetables and salad.

This same process can be used on veal and chicken. When doing chicken breasts, remove the fillet and save for another time.

I mentioned a recipe from America's Test Kitchen which is similar. You can view here it, try it and then do some experimenting. I have made it a couple of times as is. The next time I will use fresh bread crumbs. Be careful not to over sauté the chicken cutlets because of the almond addition. Tends to burn. So use lower heat or shorter time.

Let me know which one is your favorite.

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Follow up to Brew Day

It has been two weeks since I reported to you on brewing a Weiss (wheat beer). In that time the wort (pronounced wert) which is the mashed liquid before fermentation, has been transferred from the fermentor to secondary storage containers. Since I brew 11½ gallons at a time, of which only 10½ gallons are fermented, I use either two five-gallon soda canisters or one 10 gallon canister. These canisters are the kind you see soda being dispensed from at fairs. Of the remaining gallon, three quarts of wort are used for food for the next yeast starter and the remainder is lost to spillage.

Once the beer is transferred to the secondary containers, it is placed in a cold area for further conditioning. Conditioning beer is similar to conditioning wine in that it removes the rough edges in the taste department. Some lagers benefit from being conditioned (lagered) for several months. Also, cold conditioning allows the trub, all of that gunk from the used yeast and other proteins to settle to the bottom of the canister. This process helps make the beer crystal clear without filtering. Of course, with Weiss bier, cloudiness is acceptable.

One of the dominant aromas with Weiss is bananas and/or cloves. I believe that the particular brand of yeast for Weiss fermentation leads to this distinctive aroma. Many if not most strains of yeast have traveled across the great ponds over the centuries into yeast banks in the US. There are both liquid and dry yeasts available to the home brewer. If a home brewer lives in the vicinity of a regional brewery, he/she could get a small amount of spent yeast from the regional brewery for personal use. Each strain of yeast has its own distinctive flavor profile. One of the joys of home brewing is the ease of changing the flavor of the beer by changing any one of the four ingredients - water, grain, hops and yeast.

Today I will take the final step on this wondrous journey and carbonate my new batch of beer. Since home brewers find filtering to be unnecessary, a small amount of yeast remains in the beer. This yeast is used along with a liquid batch of corn sugar placed into a container of beer like the canisters or a bottle. In either case, both must be sealed otherwise the carbon dioxide will escape. The process takes several days, perhaps as long as week. It also leaves some trub in the bottle/canister from the spent yeast. Not a big deal but still visible especially in a bottle.

I have a 20 pound bottle of carbon dioxide used to dispense my beer. So it is a simple process for me to force carbonate my beer to whatever level I desire. Some of the liquid engineer types in the homebrew area have calculated the amount of carbon dioxide (pressure) needed to properly carbonate the beer. Crank up the pressure, rock the canister until the there is no longer a noise of bubbles. Best to do this with chilled beer. And now . . . enjoy.

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Lasagna

Many years ago while living in New York City, I came across a recipe for lasagna that to me was the quintessential lasagna. The recipe by Ed Giobbi was in the NY Times. Ed Giobbi in the 60's was already a well known chef in the area. Perhaps his fame was more widely known than just NYC. I'd never heard of him. Click here to get his recipe.

I love this meal. Great flavors, a rich creamy sauce with freshly made marinara sauce. The marinara sauce is an enrichment to the Basic Tomato Sauce I published here.

For years this was my only lasagna. Good for breakfast, snacking or after school.

Then about a year ago one of our local restaurateurs, Sandy D'Amato published his recipe for lasagna in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Sandy and his restaurant Sanford's have been recognized as one of the leading chefs and eateries in the Midwest. And that is way too modest.

However, now we are torn between Ed's and Sandy's. When I make one I have to make the other for a taste test. And since there are only two of us to enjoy the rewards of these two giant stars in the kitchen, a serving of 12 will last a couple of days.

The two recipes are dramatically different. Read 'em both. Giobbi's has a rich cream sauce. D'Amato's has lots of Italian cheeses. Giobbi's recipe has been around more than 40 years. D'Amato's was published about a year ago. It's his family recipe.

Click for D'Amato's recipe. Try both. Let me know.

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

Tomato Sauce

If you are looking for help to organize your upcoming class reunion, check out this classy program.

A good tomato sauce is not only easy to make but also serves as a base for other sauces such as marinara which could lead to a mighty fine lasagna. <;)

Today, I want to share with you a very basic tomato sauce. It is a good start to pasta with tomato sauce. Both relatively easy to make. A basic tomato sauce is made with tomatoes, thyme, tomato paste, salt and pepper. I add garlic to give it a little punch.

This sauce is a stepping stone for any other type of tomato sauce such as a herbed tomato sauce. When experimenting, remember to add small quantities of herbs until you achieve the taste you want. Normally, I will use roma tomatoes because of their more intense flavor.

It is a good practice to concasse - peel and seed the tomatoes; seeds add bitterness. One way around the laborious task of concasse tomatoes is to use a food mill. They come in all shapes and sizes from plastic to stainless steeel. Once I sprung for the bucks to buy one, I find I am using it more often because of the ease of use. Equally important are the results that can be achieved. Makes wonderfully fluffy mashed potatoes and spätzle, the German noodle.

Do a search for 'food mill'. If you remove the seeds, you can use a food processor to make a smooth tomato sauce.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Cherry Pie

Might as well get a head start on makin' some cherry pies for George's b'day. Although, this one is good year round and 'easy as pie' to make.

Let's start with the crust. This one can be made in the food processor or by hand. I prefer to do it by hand because of the greater control of the mixing process. Or, use your favorite recipe for a pie crust.

Mix together 2 cups all purpose flour, a pinch of kosher salt and a pinch of sugar. Cut 6 ounces (1½ sticks) of chilled unsalted butter into ¼" slices. Then cut the slices into quarters. Put into the flour mixture and mix with your hands until butter is pea size, about 4-5 minutes. Add about ½ cup of chilled water and mix with your hands until mixture comes together, about 5 minutes.

Lightly flour the work surface. Blend the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand. Gather it up with a pastry scraper of metal spatula and continue to knead it. After 1-2 minutes, the dough will be as smooth as putty and will peel from the work surface in one piece.

Shape dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes or until firm. On a floured surface, roll dough to the required shape working briskly so that it does not soften too much. Keep the dough moving loosely so that it does not stick. Every three or four strokes with the rolling pin, lift the dough and sprinkle the work surface with a little flour. Keep in mind that you need a top and a bottom.

Oven @400°F.

Next, place a pie tin upside down over the dough and cut a circle 1" larger than the pie tin. Place the dough into the pin tin and crimp the edges so that they are about ½" above pie tin. Take a piece of wax paper, fold in half, fold again. Then fold again twice so that you have a small triangle. Place the tip above the center of the pie tin and cut the oposite end about 1½" larger than the diameter of the pie tin.

Spray the wax paper with a little food spray, place sprayed side down on top of the dough and weight it with beans, or what ever else you use. Bake 12 -14 minutes on middle shelf. Remove, and brush with an egg/water solution (one egg with about half the white removed and replaced with 1 teaspoon water beaten together) for about 7 to 8 minutes. The egg wash will keep the dough from becoming soggy if, by chance, the pie lasts more than one meal. Also, baking the dough for 12 minutes gives it the right texture for us. Experiment.

Click title to get the recipe.

Meanwhile, mix together the cherries, sugar, almond extract and tapioca. Before adding the tapioca, a thickening agent, place in a spice mill and pulverize it so it has a better chance of doing what it is suppose to do. Let stand while the crust bakes.

Remove crust from oven, fill with cherry mixture and place your favorite topping on. I like to use a lattice work, easy for me and looks great.

Any questions, shout. Gotta go check on the Weizen I brewed on Sunday. Almost ready to taste.

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Brew Day - Weizen

Today is a brew day for a Bavarian Weizen or a Weiss Bier. According to German Reinheitsgebot or purity law, only four ingredients can be used to brew beer. Water, barley, hops and yeast. Strictly speaking, making beer with only these four ingredients is limiting. Many brewers today use malted barley or wheat and some adjuncts. The purpose of the law was to ensure a minimum quality to the outcome.

The brew day is approximately 6 to 7 hours long. My normal batch is 10 gallons/four cases of beer. First the water is raised to a specified temperature, then circulate the heated water over crushed malt (mash) to change the starch to sugar. Next the sugared grain is washed (sparge) with more hot water to extract as much of the sugar as possible. Then the wort - sugared water - is boiled with the addition of hops to give the wort a bitterness and aroma. This process is about 1½ hours which also reduces the quantity of liquid by approximately one gallon per hour. Next the wort is cooled rapidly through a counter flow chiller where the wort travels from the boiler to the fermentor in one pipe and cold water travels in an outer pipe in the opposite direction - counter flow. When all of the wort is in the fermentor and the wort is the right temperature, the yeast is pitched into the wort. The yeast uses the sugar as food and changes the wort to beer by converting the sugar to alcohol.

Since there are only four main ingredients, how are the different flavors develope? Yeast is a big contributor to flavor. But so is water. Grain and temperature can change the character and the mouth feel of the beer. Natuarally soft water yields a lighter style beer such as a pils whereas water with large concentrations of carbonates and calcium are best to produce darker beer like porter and stout.

Temperature changes during the process can alter the way the beer tastes. For example, if the heated water circulating over the crushed grains is kept between 144F and 150F, more of the malt will be converted to fermentable sugars thus making a higher alcohol content which also gives the beer a drier taste. If the temperature is between 151°F and 158°F, more of the malt will be converted to unfermentable sugars thus lowering the alocohol content. The resultant wort will be sweeter - having a bigger mouth feel.

Therefore, a recipe using the same ingredients can be altered by changing the process temperature. As a homebrewer, I normally try to stay within the guidelines for a particular style such as weiss, Alt, Pils or Octoberfest. I see no reason to mess with success.

After the yeast is pitched, the beer is then lagered/conditioned for one to many weeks. Ales can be ready to drink in about one week after pitching the yeast whereas lagers will be conditioned for several months. Conditioning a lager is a necessary step for a smooth crisp taste.

The final step to the process is to carbonate the beer which can be done by adding a sugar solution to the beer in the bottle or force carbonating the beer in the keg. Homebrewers seldom filter their beer so the residual yeast will act on the added sugar to produce the necessary carbonation.

Really, the final step is . . . well come on over and have a taste with me.

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Pork Chops Charcuterie

Cooking. It's a passion. Made pork chops charcuterie last night. Takes about 10 minutes for prep time and less than 30 minutes from start to finish. In fact, the time on this recipe might give Rachael Ray (FoodTV channel) a run for her money on a 30 minute meal. Most important is the result. . . good food.

The recipe for 6 can be made for any number. If you reduce the number do not change the sauce quantity . . . just heap it on top of the chops. Store bought vegetable, chicken or beef broth can be substituted for the stock. . . even boullion cubes. Be careful about salt when using purchased stock. If sauce is too thick add more stock. . . if too thin, simmer until you get the consistency you want.

Gherkins. . . not the sweet little ones. . . distracts from the overall flavor. . . look for imported.

Use 1" or more thick pork chops - double chops. Sauté 5 minutes per side. . . in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes . . . remove from oven and rest covered for a minimum of 5 minutes. To sauté thick chops, chicken breasts or steaks for a perfectly seared exterior and a juicy interior place the pan into a 400°F oven.

Pour a nice Pinot Noir or a robust Chardonnay. Close your eyes and dine as if in a Parisian bistro or in the Alsaace.

Click here to download Pork Chops Charcuterie. File, Save As to save in Notepad.

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Black-eye peas and ham hocks

My true New Years Day treat was a day late this year because of tooooo many things to do. My wife Mary Ann hails from Alabama (note the polysyllabic first name and monosyllabic second name and therefore has all the credentials) and is a true southerner. Annually she makes a mess of black-eye peas and ham hocks on 1/1. One of the few things in life that is a constant, or was until 1/1/2005. But worth every minute to wait for the best.

Many years ago, I spirited my bride from the land of cotton, bought a lot of warm clothes for layers and headed to the tundra. Just north of Milwaukee. In the ensuing years, black-eye peas have taken on a decided yankee flavor, no more fatback or lard - too hard on the arteries, cut down on the salt, added bay leaves. The end result though, is the liking of the entire family, mostly MA and me since the kids have long flown away.

It is a delight looking forward to.

Saturday, January 01, 2005

My Class Reunion

A classy program. That is what I call a database program to track class mates to help you organize your upcoming reunion. Even though the program is called My Class Reunion.exe, it can also serve to help plan and organize any type of a reunion.

Import existing data from Access or Excel in a matter of minutes, write letters of invitation, print mailing labels or email all classmates all from within the program. Print name tags for the big event with old-time photos attached. Easy to install and easier to keep your records up to date.

Click to view this class reunion program.