Thursday, April 7, 2011
Seafood Stir-fry with Arugula by liz_isabella
My favourite seafood stir-fry is mixed shellfish fried lightly in butter, lemon and garlic, then add in chopped coriander, chopped rocket (arrrrrrrrrrrrugula, love that word), and if I have any, spring greens, warm through until wilted. I have it with couscous usually, but I have A Thing for couscous.
Arugula by bookseller
I particularly love "wild" arugula (which is in fact simply a different, and cultivated strain that is much spicier than the regular stuff). It makes a great pesto and also a great soup, particularly with some starch (potato, usually) for balance; I also love it stirred into lentil soup, the way I might use kale. And it's terrific stirred around with olive oil and garlic and used to sauce pasta. But to tell you the truth, I like it best in salads.
One thing you might could do is branch out beyond the usual salads. Frex, arugula is delicious in a salad that incorporates, say, grapefruit and orange segments and maybe some cooked white fish or (even better) crab or lobster. It plays very well with the softer, sweeter salad greens like mache or Boston lettuce, with maybe a little endive for a nice jolt of bitterness. Mmmmmm a citrus vinaigrette, throw in an egg if you'd like it creamy, with a little fresh tarragon and some toasted slivered almonds or a few toasted baguette slices (brushed with a little garlic olive oil) on the side....MAN am I hungry!
One thing you might could do is branch out beyond the usual salads. Frex, arugula is delicious in a salad that incorporates, say, grapefruit and orange segments and maybe some cooked white fish or (even better) crab or lobster. It plays very well with the softer, sweeter salad greens like mache or Boston lettuce, with maybe a little endive for a nice jolt of bitterness. Mmmmmm a citrus vinaigrette, throw in an egg if you'd like it creamy, with a little fresh tarragon and some toasted slivered almonds or a few toasted baguette slices (brushed with a little garlic olive oil) on the side....MAN am I hungry!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Carnitas by Calamity Jeanne
This afternoon I dusted off an old recipe for carnitas. It's one I basically cobbled together from two recipes out of two different library-loan cookbooks back when I lived in Silver Bay 20 years ago. I used boneless country-style ribs: simmered the wee out of them in water with a sliced onion and some ground cumin and dried oregano, then removed them from the broth, salted them and baked them in a 350F oven until browned, then allowed them to cool and cubed the meat, then put the meat cubes back into the baking dish, seasoned them well with cumin, oregano, chili powder and garlic powder, dumped in the onions from the cooking stock as well as a cup or so of the stock, covered it with foil, and let it bake for another 45 minutes. The meat is amazingly tender. I serve it on soft corn tortillas spread with refried beans, rolled up like taquitos, with Mexican rice on the side.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Squash and Meat Pie by Sicut Cervus
[From The Victory Garden Cookbook]
1 partially cooked pie crust (use your usual recipe for that part -- flour, a bit of salt, fat, water); roll out and put in pie pan, prick with a fork, weigh it down with another pan buttered on the bottom and full of old pennies or whatever; bake at 425, take it out after 8 minutes and get rid of the weighing-down pan, prick again and adjust the edges if needed, put back for a couple more minutes, take out and let cool.
Meat layer
3/4 lb ground beef
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
1/4 lb ham
2 T butter
1 egg
1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 t thyme
1-1/2 t salt (I found this a bit excessive and would use less next time)
freshly ground pepper
Topping
2 eggs
2 cups cooked winter squash
1/2 cup cooked rice (or other similar-textured bland carb, whatever you've got)
2/3 cup cream
1 T melted butter salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
To make meat layer, brown ground beef, drain off fat, and put meat in mixing bowl. Chop celery and onion, dice ham. Melt butter and sauté celery and onion till barely wilted, 3-5 minutes. Add ham and cook for 2 minutes. Stir into ground beef.* Beat egg and mix with beef mixture along with cheeses, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Let cool while you make the custard layer.
Put all ingredients for custard in food processor and blend till smooth.
Put cooled meat mixture in the pie shell, spread around and pat down. Cover with squash topping (I had extra topping; I didn't measure the squash, so there may have been more than 2 cups of it; plus the recipe is for a 10-inch pie pan and mine are 9-inch. I put the extra custard in an oven-proof dish and baked it separately.)
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese (I forgot to do this).
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, turn down heat to 325 and bake for 20-30 minutes longer till crust is nicely browned and filling is set and starting to brown around the edges.
Confession: I was in a hurry. I baked it for 15 minutes at 375, then turned it down to 300 for 10 more. It was perfect.
*I did this in my usual order -- do the onion and celery in the butter, then add the (raw) beef and brown it, then the ham, etc. It saved one dirty bowl, and probably blended the flavors a little more.
1 partially cooked pie crust (use your usual recipe for that part -- flour, a bit of salt, fat, water); roll out and put in pie pan, prick with a fork, weigh it down with another pan buttered on the bottom and full of old pennies or whatever; bake at 425, take it out after 8 minutes and get rid of the weighing-down pan, prick again and adjust the edges if needed, put back for a couple more minutes, take out and let cool.
Meat layer
3/4 lb ground beef
1 stalk celery
1 small onion
1/4 lb ham
2 T butter
1 egg
1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 t thyme
1-1/2 t salt (I found this a bit excessive and would use less next time)
freshly ground pepper
Topping
2 eggs
2 cups cooked winter squash
1/2 cup cooked rice (or other similar-textured bland carb, whatever you've got)
2/3 cup cream
1 T melted butter salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
To make meat layer, brown ground beef, drain off fat, and put meat in mixing bowl. Chop celery and onion, dice ham. Melt butter and sauté celery and onion till barely wilted, 3-5 minutes. Add ham and cook for 2 minutes. Stir into ground beef.* Beat egg and mix with beef mixture along with cheeses, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Let cool while you make the custard layer.
Put all ingredients for custard in food processor and blend till smooth.
Put cooled meat mixture in the pie shell, spread around and pat down. Cover with squash topping (I had extra topping; I didn't measure the squash, so there may have been more than 2 cups of it; plus the recipe is for a 10-inch pie pan and mine are 9-inch. I put the extra custard in an oven-proof dish and baked it separately.)
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese (I forgot to do this).
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, turn down heat to 325 and bake for 20-30 minutes longer till crust is nicely browned and filling is set and starting to brown around the edges.
Confession: I was in a hurry. I baked it for 15 minutes at 375, then turned it down to 300 for 10 more. It was perfect.
*I did this in my usual order -- do the onion and celery in the butter, then add the (raw) beef and brown it, then the ham, etc. It saved one dirty bowl, and probably blended the flavors a little more.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
New York Times Moussaka
3 medium-sized eggplants
1 cup butter
3 large onions, finely chopped
2 pounds ground lamb or beef
3 T tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 T flour
1 quart milk
4 eggs, beaten till frothy
nutmeg
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
1 cup fine bread crumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Peel the eggpalnts and cut them into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Brown the slices quickly in four tablespoons of the butter. Set aside [my annotation: sprinkle with salt]
2. Heat four tablespoons of butter in the same skillet and cook the onions until they are brown. Add the ground meat and cook ten minutes. Combine the tomato paste with the wine, parsley, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir this mixture into the meat and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the mixture from the fire.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 F
4. Make a white sauce by melting 8 tablespoons of butter and blending in the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. Meanwhile, bring the milk to a boil and add it gradually to the butter-flour mixture, stirring constantly. When the mixture is thickened and smooth, remove it from the heat. Cool slightly and stir in the beaten eggs, nutmeg and ricotta.
5. Grease an 11 x 16 inch pan and sprinkle the bottom lightly with bread crumbs. Arrange alternate layers of eggplant and meat sauce in the pan, sprnkling each layer with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Pour the ricotta sauce over the top and bake one hour, or until top is golden. Remove from the oven and cool 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Cut in squares and serve.
1 cup butter
3 large onions, finely chopped
2 pounds ground lamb or beef
3 T tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 T flour
1 quart milk
4 eggs, beaten till frothy
nutmeg
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
1 cup fine bread crumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Peel the eggpalnts and cut them into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Brown the slices quickly in four tablespoons of the butter. Set aside [my annotation: sprinkle with salt]
2. Heat four tablespoons of butter in the same skillet and cook the onions until they are brown. Add the ground meat and cook ten minutes. Combine the tomato paste with the wine, parsley, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir this mixture into the meat and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the mixture from the fire.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 F
4. Make a white sauce by melting 8 tablespoons of butter and blending in the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. Meanwhile, bring the milk to a boil and add it gradually to the butter-flour mixture, stirring constantly. When the mixture is thickened and smooth, remove it from the heat. Cool slightly and stir in the beaten eggs, nutmeg and ricotta.
5. Grease an 11 x 16 inch pan and sprinkle the bottom lightly with bread crumbs. Arrange alternate layers of eggplant and meat sauce in the pan, sprnkling each layer with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Pour the ricotta sauce over the top and bake one hour, or until top is golden. Remove from the oven and cool 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Cut in squares and serve.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Chicken Livers with Onion and Bacon by liz_isabella
I was actually really chuffed with how easy it was to do the livers, you should definitely give it a try.
I grilled some bacon before hand and set it aside.
Then I chopped up an onion, and chopped some garlic, and set that to fry. Once the onions started to change colour I added the chicken livers (I had drained them and rinsed them a bit before hand, because they can be quite mucky). Keep gently frying them until they're brown on the outside and a little pink on the inside. Their texture will change a little, and get a bit smoother.
Get some potatoes on the boil, then mash them up. Put that on a plate and then pop the cooked livers and onion on top. Add the bacon. Then put a couple of spoons of red wine and some nice balsamic vinegar into the still warm pan and swirl it around to get some of the bits out, pour that out over the livers and mash, Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt, dinner.
It only took me about 15/20 minutes. Yummy.
I grilled some bacon before hand and set it aside.
Then I chopped up an onion, and chopped some garlic, and set that to fry. Once the onions started to change colour I added the chicken livers (I had drained them and rinsed them a bit before hand, because they can be quite mucky). Keep gently frying them until they're brown on the outside and a little pink on the inside. Their texture will change a little, and get a bit smoother.
Get some potatoes on the boil, then mash them up. Put that on a plate and then pop the cooked livers and onion on top. Add the bacon. Then put a couple of spoons of red wine and some nice balsamic vinegar into the still warm pan and swirl it around to get some of the bits out, pour that out over the livers and mash, Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt, dinner.
It only took me about 15/20 minutes. Yummy.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Oxtail Stew by liz-isabella
Yesterday I pan fried the oxtail until it was sealed on the outside. I then fried up some diced celery, onion, garlic and carrots, added the meat back in and covered it up with some beef stock. I added some thyme and some rosemary and let the whole lot simmer for four hours.
I left it in the fridge to cool overnight, and then this afternoon I topped it up with a bit of water and a glass of red wine, simmered it for another half an hour. Then I made some rosemary and garlic doughballs (dumplings) and added that in for last 5 minutes or so. It was good. And the house smelled so nice while it was all cooking.
I left it in the fridge to cool overnight, and then this afternoon I topped it up with a bit of water and a glass of red wine, simmered it for another half an hour. Then I made some rosemary and garlic doughballs (dumplings) and added that in for last 5 minutes or so. It was good. And the house smelled so nice while it was all cooking.
Slow Roasted Lamb by liz-isabella
Yesterday I did a slow roasted lamb dish via Nigella. Lamb chops chopped up, in a roasting pan with diced raw potatoes. Over that a mix of olive oil, rosemary, garlic, and chilli. Slow roasted at about 150 degrees for around an hour and a half. It was lovely, all juicy and tasty. I had it with brussel sprouts and broccoli and felt virtuous and stuffed.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Peach Torte by Alecto the Night Owl
1 c butter
1 egg
1/2 c sugar
2 c flour
2 tsps baking powder
pinch if salt
Cream butter and sugar together. Add the beaten egg. Add sifted dry ingredients. Take out enough for topping - 3 cookie-sized balls. Press into a 10" or 11" springform pan.
Filling:
1 28 oz can of peaches
2 small packages of cooked chocolate pudding (can use mousse)
Make pudding/mousse per instructions. Drain the peaches and line the bottom of the pan. Cover with the pudding/mousse. Flatten out the dough balls and arrange on the top in a pleasing manner. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes. Serve garnished with whipped cream or creme fraiche. This is good still warm from the oven or cold.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Mujaddra (Rice & Lentils) by bookseller
Cook both rice and lentils -- maybe the same amount of each, doesn't matter -- as you normally would (though maybe don't put them on the heat till the onions are about halfway done). Slice up about twice or three times as many onions as you think you'll need, getting them as thin as possible, and separating them into rings. Pour an unconscionable amount of olive oil (must be olive oil) into a pan, and cook the onions over the lowest possible heat. Getting them as dark as they can go will take quite a long time, easily an hour, maybe more, but you really don't have to poke them or fuss with them; just come in and check every 20 minutes or so; stir the darker ones in with the lighter ones, make sure nothing's sticking. When at least half of them are a really dark brown (and the other half are deep gold), mix the contents of the pan -- onions and onion-y olive oil -- together with the rice and lentils (which are still warm), and season everything with salt and black pepper and (if you're me) some cumin seeds that you have toasted in a dry pan till fragrant, and ground. Good warm, good cold, good plain, good with extra bits in, good with green eggs and ham, good all around. Too high in carbs for me to indulge often, sadly, but great comfort food. And as comfort food goes, actually not bad for you.
FWIW, my recipe, which I started making in college, comes from the Frugal Gourmet, who may have been a perv but put out some good cookbooks.
FWIW, my recipe, which I started making in college, comes from the Frugal Gourmet, who may have been a perv but put out some good cookbooks.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Magic Bulgur by bookseller
Saute 1 diced onion in 4 tablespoons butter. You could use olive oil, and you could probably cut the amount in half. Recipe says to add a couple stalks of celery; I'd rather get root canal with a rusty can opener. Stir the onion around over medium heat until it's translucent.
The stir in 1 cup bulgur -- I like the coarse grind, recipe doesn't specify. If you're looking for more of a porridge-y texture, fine would probably be the way to go. Add a pinch each of kosher/sea salt and black pepper, and stir this all for about 1 minute, till the bulgur starts to smell a little toasty.
Add 1.5 cups chicken broth or water, cover the pan, and let everything simmer (that probably means turning down the heat under the pan) for 15 minutes or so, until the bulgur is tender. At this point, if you'd like to cook it ahead and reheat it, you can. Stop, scrape everything into a bowl, stick it in the fridge. Later, you can heat it up in a bit more oil or butter (which will make it crisper and toastier and altogether more delicious) or you can steam it in a covered pan with a little bit of stock or water, which will still be tasty, but hey, steaming v. butter...choose your own sin.
When the bulgur is hot and you're ready to eat, stir in about 2 tablespoons good plain yogurt (I'd go with Greek, personally) and the same amount of chopped parsley (my choice) or dill (if you want a northern European flavor -- which would be very good with fish). In my vegetarian days, I used to make entire extremely happy meals out of a bowl of this stuff and some steamed veg -- cabbage and carrots in particular. But I also love it as a side to any kind of plain fish or seafood, either grilled or steamed, and I bet it would be great with lamb chops, in which case a raw zucchini salad with a sharp oregano vinaigrette, and maybe a few soaked currants in the bulgar, would be pretty fab.
Oooh, you know what I bet would be great? Make this up, but with butter and yogurt only, no onions or pepper, no parsley or dill, no savory ingredients. Eat it hot with some cold stewed fruit, like a classic eastern European kompot of apples or pears and dried apricots and prunes stewed with sugar or honey, a vanilla bean and some lemon rind, and either water or juice or red wine. That would make some kind of fabulous breakfast. With a nice glass tea, you'd be ready to go pick mushrooms in the forest with Zasha and Yevgeny.
ETA In fact, with a little forward planning, this would be an extremely easy breakfast. Not only does the kompot keep well, but I know from personal experience that it also freezes well, like in little 1/4-cup twists of Baggie. We already know the bulgar can be made ahead. The night before, take one of your Baggies outa the freezer, and leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight. In the morning, nuke some bulgur till it's hot, stir in a little yogurt, and top it with your cold, syrupy fruit. If you are determined to get fancy and cause your breakfast guest to adore you, toast a few heart-healthy walnut halves while the bulgur is nuking, chop them roughly and sprinkle them on top.
Your guest will never leave.
The stir in 1 cup bulgur -- I like the coarse grind, recipe doesn't specify. If you're looking for more of a porridge-y texture, fine would probably be the way to go. Add a pinch each of kosher/sea salt and black pepper, and stir this all for about 1 minute, till the bulgur starts to smell a little toasty.
Add 1.5 cups chicken broth or water, cover the pan, and let everything simmer (that probably means turning down the heat under the pan) for 15 minutes or so, until the bulgur is tender. At this point, if you'd like to cook it ahead and reheat it, you can. Stop, scrape everything into a bowl, stick it in the fridge. Later, you can heat it up in a bit more oil or butter (which will make it crisper and toastier and altogether more delicious) or you can steam it in a covered pan with a little bit of stock or water, which will still be tasty, but hey, steaming v. butter...choose your own sin.
When the bulgur is hot and you're ready to eat, stir in about 2 tablespoons good plain yogurt (I'd go with Greek, personally) and the same amount of chopped parsley (my choice) or dill (if you want a northern European flavor -- which would be very good with fish). In my vegetarian days, I used to make entire extremely happy meals out of a bowl of this stuff and some steamed veg -- cabbage and carrots in particular. But I also love it as a side to any kind of plain fish or seafood, either grilled or steamed, and I bet it would be great with lamb chops, in which case a raw zucchini salad with a sharp oregano vinaigrette, and maybe a few soaked currants in the bulgar, would be pretty fab.
Oooh, you know what I bet would be great? Make this up, but with butter and yogurt only, no onions or pepper, no parsley or dill, no savory ingredients. Eat it hot with some cold stewed fruit, like a classic eastern European kompot of apples or pears and dried apricots and prunes stewed with sugar or honey, a vanilla bean and some lemon rind, and either water or juice or red wine. That would make some kind of fabulous breakfast. With a nice glass tea, you'd be ready to go pick mushrooms in the forest with Zasha and Yevgeny.
ETA In fact, with a little forward planning, this would be an extremely easy breakfast. Not only does the kompot keep well, but I know from personal experience that it also freezes well, like in little 1/4-cup twists of Baggie. We already know the bulgar can be made ahead. The night before, take one of your Baggies outa the freezer, and leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight. In the morning, nuke some bulgur till it's hot, stir in a little yogurt, and top it with your cold, syrupy fruit. If you are determined to get fancy and cause your breakfast guest to adore you, toast a few heart-healthy walnut halves while the bulgur is nuking, chop them roughly and sprinkle them on top.
Your guest will never leave.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Mincemeat Pie by Grizzled Adams
Updated to today from an Old Sturbridge Village recipe.
Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds of beef round or leftover roast
1/4 pound suet
1 1/2 pounds apples
1 cup raisins or currant
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon clove
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 cup brandy
2 cups cider or apple juice
Double recipe for Pie Crust
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
1. If uncooked meat is used, simmer beef 2-3 hours or until very tender, adding suet for last 1/2 hour of cooking.
2. When cooked, chop beef and suet very fine, into about 1/4-inch pieces.
3. Pare, core, and chop apples to make 3 cups.
4. Mix beef, suet, apples, raisins or currants, white and brown sugars, spices, brandy and cider or apple juice.
5. Prepare pie crust.
6. Line pie plates with pastry, fill each with half of meat mixture. Cover with top crusts, seal edges, slit holes on top for steam to escape. If desired, spread a thick layer of butter on pastry for flaky upper crust.
7. Bake 3/4 hour in 400°-425° oven.
Yield: Two 9-inch pies
Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds of beef round or leftover roast
1/4 pound suet
1 1/2 pounds apples
1 cup raisins or currant
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon clove
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 cup brandy
2 cups cider or apple juice
Double recipe for Pie Crust
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
1. If uncooked meat is used, simmer beef 2-3 hours or until very tender, adding suet for last 1/2 hour of cooking.
2. When cooked, chop beef and suet very fine, into about 1/4-inch pieces.
3. Pare, core, and chop apples to make 3 cups.
4. Mix beef, suet, apples, raisins or currants, white and brown sugars, spices, brandy and cider or apple juice.
5. Prepare pie crust.
6. Line pie plates with pastry, fill each with half of meat mixture. Cover with top crusts, seal edges, slit holes on top for steam to escape. If desired, spread a thick layer of butter on pastry for flaky upper crust.
7. Bake 3/4 hour in 400°-425° oven.
Yield: Two 9-inch pies
Christmas Pudding Ice Cream by MollyDunlop
[Recipe from the Two Fat Ladies]
Christmas Pudding Ice Cream
1 Christmas pudding (I can't remember what size; don't go mad)
1 quart good vanilla ice cream
Soften the ice cream, and turn it into a large bowl. Crumble the Christmas pudding, then stir the crumbs into the softened ice cream. Refreeze in (a) suitable container(s). You can add a tablespoon or two of brandy, but be careful--too much will interfere with the refreezing.
The Christmas Pud. Ice Cream makes a very good bombe: pistachio ice cream for the outer layer, CP ice cream in the middle.
Christmas Pudding Ice Cream
1 Christmas pudding (I can't remember what size; don't go mad)
1 quart good vanilla ice cream
Soften the ice cream, and turn it into a large bowl. Crumble the Christmas pudding, then stir the crumbs into the softened ice cream. Refreeze in (a) suitable container(s). You can add a tablespoon or two of brandy, but be careful--too much will interfere with the refreezing.
The Christmas Pud. Ice Cream makes a very good bombe: pistachio ice cream for the outer layer, CP ice cream in the middle.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Mom's Black Vinegar & Ginger Pork Trotters by PegS
Ingredients:
Note: the vinegar and ginger can be made ahead, as can the blanching of the pig's feet. My mom just throws the pig's feet in the freezer until she's ready.
- 1-2 lbs pig's feet. Have the butcher halve and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 bottles of Chinese sweet black vinegar
- Large hunk of ginger, or however much you want (1/2 lb - 1 lb)
- (Optional) apple cider vinegar
- (Optional) Chinese brown sugar
Note: the vinegar and ginger can be made ahead, as can the blanching of the pig's feet. My mom just throws the pig's feet in the freezer until she's ready.
- Blanch the pig's feet in boiling water for a few minutes (2-5). Remove from water and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
- Peel the ginger, then cut into 1-2 inch chunks. "Smash" the chunks just so they release a bit of juice.
- Saute or toast the ginger lightly for a few minutes until they're fragrant.
- Put the vinegar and ginger in a large pot and bring to boil. Turn down heat and simmer for an hour.
- Taste the broth. If it's too sour add some of the brown sugar. If it's too sweet add some of the apple cider vinegar.
- Throw in a dash or two of salt.
- Add the pig's feet to the mixture, and simmer for about an hour or until tender. Serve.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Brining a turkey by Grizzled Adams
Brining my turkey, to big to put in the fridge, its supposed to get down to 34 degrees tonight, so turkey is hanging out in the van in the driveway, found this recipe, hopes it works.
* 1 cup salt
* 1 lemon, cut into wedges
* 1 orange, cut into wedges
* 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
* 3 cloves garlic
* 4 bay leaves
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme
* 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 gallons cold water
Rub salt onto your turkey, and place remaining salt, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper into a large pot. Place the turkey in the pot, and fill with water. Refrigerate overnight. Discard brine after removing turkey.
THERE! you'all see it! Don't throw the turkey out with the brine water!
* 1 cup salt
* 1 lemon, cut into wedges
* 1 orange, cut into wedges
* 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
* 3 cloves garlic
* 4 bay leaves
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme
* 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 gallons cold water
Rub salt onto your turkey, and place remaining salt, lemons, oranges, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and pepper into a large pot. Place the turkey in the pot, and fill with water. Refrigerate overnight. Discard brine after removing turkey.
THERE! you'all see it! Don't throw the turkey out with the brine water!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Strawberry, balsamic vinegar and mascarpone cream pudding by liz isabella
Ingredients
250g/8oz strawberries (hulled)
1 tbsp grenadine
1 tsp black peppercorns
100g/3oz caster sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp strawberry liqueur or vodka (we used vodka)
200 ml/7 fl oz single cream
250g/8oz mascarpone cheese
Method
1) Place the hulled strawberries in a bowl and crush lightly with a fork or potato masher. Mix in the grenadine and set aside.
2) Place peppercorns in a pan. Heat on a stove for a few minutes, until the corns crack and roast. They'll look shiny. Allow to cool and then coarsely crush in a mortar and pestle.
3) In another bowl mix the caster sugar with the balsamic vinegar,vanilla and the liqueur or vodka. Mix in the single cream.
4) Beat the mascarpone and mix into the single cream mixture.
5) Spoon a little of the crushed strawberries into the bottom of martini glasses, wine glasses or knickerbocker glory glasses. Spoon over a little of the cream mixture, and sprinkle with some peppercorns.
6) Repeat until the glasses are full, finishing with the cream and the final sprinkle of pepper. Garnish with whole or cut strawberries.
250g/8oz strawberries (hulled)
1 tbsp grenadine
1 tsp black peppercorns
100g/3oz caster sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp strawberry liqueur or vodka (we used vodka)
200 ml/7 fl oz single cream
250g/8oz mascarpone cheese
Method
1) Place the hulled strawberries in a bowl and crush lightly with a fork or potato masher. Mix in the grenadine and set aside.
2) Place peppercorns in a pan. Heat on a stove for a few minutes, until the corns crack and roast. They'll look shiny. Allow to cool and then coarsely crush in a mortar and pestle.
3) In another bowl mix the caster sugar with the balsamic vinegar,vanilla and the liqueur or vodka. Mix in the single cream.
4) Beat the mascarpone and mix into the single cream mixture.
5) Spoon a little of the crushed strawberries into the bottom of martini glasses, wine glasses or knickerbocker glory glasses. Spoon over a little of the cream mixture, and sprinkle with some peppercorns.
6) Repeat until the glasses are full, finishing with the cream and the final sprinkle of pepper. Garnish with whole or cut strawberries.
Pea and Pecorino Risotto by liz isabella
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
50g/2oz butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400g/14oz risotto rice
150ml/5oz white wine
1.5L/2.5 pints hot chicken stock
45g/1lb peas (frozen or fresh, doesn't matter)
25g/10oz grated pecorino cheese
handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1) Heat a large, heavy-based saucepan and add the oil and half the butter. Heat until it is foaming then add the onon and gently cook for about 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes then stir in the rice and heat through for a minute until shiny and opaque
2) Pour in the wine and boil for 1 minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to medium heat and begin to add the stock a ladleful at a time allowing the liquid to to absorbed into the rice before adding more.
3) After 15 minutes of cooking add te frozen peas and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
4) When the rice feels soft and fluffy and the texture is creamy, but each grain is still firm to the bite in the centre the risotto is ready. At this point take the risotto off the heat and stir in the remaining butter cheese and mint and season to taste. Leave to rest with the lid on for a few minutes then serve immediately.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
50g/2oz butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400g/14oz risotto rice
150ml/5oz white wine
1.5L/2.5 pints hot chicken stock
45g/1lb peas (frozen or fresh, doesn't matter)
25g/10oz grated pecorino cheese
handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1) Heat a large, heavy-based saucepan and add the oil and half the butter. Heat until it is foaming then add the onon and gently cook for about 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes then stir in the rice and heat through for a minute until shiny and opaque
2) Pour in the wine and boil for 1 minute to allow the alcohol to evaporate, stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to medium heat and begin to add the stock a ladleful at a time allowing the liquid to to absorbed into the rice before adding more.
3) After 15 minutes of cooking add te frozen peas and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
4) When the rice feels soft and fluffy and the texture is creamy, but each grain is still firm to the bite in the centre the risotto is ready. At this point take the risotto off the heat and stir in the remaining butter cheese and mint and season to taste. Leave to rest with the lid on for a few minutes then serve immediately.
Enchiladas with Chili Gravy by Erythrosine
1. While the tortillas do have to be cooked before you fill them, it works perfectly well to steam them, instead of individually frying each tortilla, which takes forever (and adds a huge dose of oil or lard). I learned this from Martha Rose Shulman's NYTimes piece about tacos. I wrapped twenty corn tortillas in a nice clean dish towel and steamed them over boiling water for one minute, then removed the pot from the heat and left them covered for fifteen more minutes.
2. Robb Walsh's Chili Gravy is the perfect Tex-Mex enchilada sauce, if your chili powder is good, and fresh:
Chili Gravy
1/4 cup oil or lard
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoon powdered garlic [I substituted fresh garlic, of course]
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon good chile powder [I used Penzey's, but Gebhardt's is supposed to be good]
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients, then add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add water to adjust the thickness. Makes 2 cups.
For a filling, I used diced cooked chicken thighs, grated queso fresco, fresh cilantro (since there were no cilantro-haters present), and onions (cooked with the chicken thighs). Given the amount of ancho chili in the chili powder, I'm not sure how much it mattered that the chicken broth I used in the chili gravy was double-strength homemade broth, not the canned stuff, but you probably wouldn't want to add any salt if you used canned broth.
2. Robb Walsh's Chili Gravy is the perfect Tex-Mex enchilada sauce, if your chili powder is good, and fresh:
Chili Gravy
1/4 cup oil or lard
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoon powdered garlic [I substituted fresh garlic, of course]
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon good chile powder [I used Penzey's, but Gebhardt's is supposed to be good]
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients, then add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. Add water to adjust the thickness. Makes 2 cups.
For a filling, I used diced cooked chicken thighs, grated queso fresco, fresh cilantro (since there were no cilantro-haters present), and onions (cooked with the chicken thighs). Given the amount of ancho chili in the chili powder, I'm not sure how much it mattered that the chicken broth I used in the chili gravy was double-strength homemade broth, not the canned stuff, but you probably wouldn't want to add any salt if you used canned broth.
Salad of Shaved Brussels Sprouts by bookseller
This is my attempt to replicate a salad I love at a local restaurant. The sprouts are shaved into very thin slices, and then those slices are sliced into thin ribbons (this is what's known as a chiffonade). They're dressed with a vinaigrette made, I'm guessing, from white wine vinegar, olive oil, and some walnut oil or hazelnut oil, with maybe a tiny bit each of dijon mustard and honey, plus salt and pepper. And then it's all tossed with finely shredded (but not grated) pecorino cheese and hazelnuts that have been toasted and chopped. It's very, very tasty.
Brining Pork by Calamity Jeanne and bookseller
Calmity Jeanne:
I brine pork chops in the fridge for 90 minutes in six cups of water into which I've dissolved 3 tbsp. of kosher salt and 3 tbsp. sugar. Then I drain the chops, rinse them, pat them dry and proceed with the recipe.
bookseller:
I swear by Bruce Aidell; he says to make a brine of 1/4 cup each kosher salt and sugar (sugar sub is fine), plus 3.5 cups cold water and a cup of ice cubes (that's about 8 standard cubes). This for four chops. Stick the bowl or bag in the fridge, brine for 4-6 hours, then remove the chops and pat dry. At that point you can either cook them or wrap them in plastic and refrigerate to cook later.
You can flavor the brine with any number of things, from coffee to herbs to mustard to apple juice, but the basic works great. Even boneless loin chops, which I have usually found to be the definition of dry, turn out incredibly juicy and tender. REALLY good.
ETA, FWIW, same trick works great on chicken and turkey breast.
I brine pork chops in the fridge for 90 minutes in six cups of water into which I've dissolved 3 tbsp. of kosher salt and 3 tbsp. sugar. Then I drain the chops, rinse them, pat them dry and proceed with the recipe.
bookseller:
I swear by Bruce Aidell; he says to make a brine of 1/4 cup each kosher salt and sugar (sugar sub is fine), plus 3.5 cups cold water and a cup of ice cubes (that's about 8 standard cubes). This for four chops. Stick the bowl or bag in the fridge, brine for 4-6 hours, then remove the chops and pat dry. At that point you can either cook them or wrap them in plastic and refrigerate to cook later.
You can flavor the brine with any number of things, from coffee to herbs to mustard to apple juice, but the basic works great. Even boneless loin chops, which I have usually found to be the definition of dry, turn out incredibly juicy and tender. REALLY good.
ETA, FWIW, same trick works great on chicken and turkey breast.
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