Tuesday, December 29

Free-Form Apple Tart of Galette

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home by Julia Child & Jacques Pepin
Cookbook 52, Recipe 2, (total 108)

I did not end up making an apple pie for Christmas and therefore have a little too many on hand.

Did I like it? It took me a while to not miss the sugar content that I was expecting from an apple pie. After I got over that it was great. I would recommend either the pie crust from Martha Stewart or the Galette crust from Deborah Madison over this crust recipe.

Recipe:
Crust: Into 2 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar cut in 7.5 oz butter. Add 1-3 cup cold water and form into a flat disk. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Filling: Mix together: 2.25 lbs apples chopped into 1/2 inch pieces, 1/2 dried currants, 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar.

Roll dough into aprox an 18 inch circle. Dump the filling onto it leaving a 2 inch boarder. Bring the boarder up over the filling. Brush with apricot jam. Bake at 400 for one hour.

Jacque's Skillet Duck with Parsnips and Shallots

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home by Julia Child & Jacques Pepin
Cookbook 52, Recipe 1, (total 107)

Jason & Dyanna gave this cookbook to Stephen & I for Christmas one year. It's signed by Mr. Pepin himself! We had a duck on hand since Stephen decided to buy one at the Farmers Market with no plan to cook it. Pa loves duck so we cooked it up for the Christmas gathering with him on the 26th.

Did I like it? Definitely. I substituted 1/2 potatoes for 1/2 of the parsnips - don't do that - the potatoes didn't cook as well.

Recipe: Jacques has very detailed instructions on cutting up the duck. Essentially: cut the breasts off, cut the legs off, cut the wings off and hack in two, cut the thighs off. The carcass will remain for you to make stock from. Place the duck skin side down in a heavy pan over medium heat and cook until all sides are browned aprox 20 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add 3lbs of parsnips, 2 cups whole shallots, the bulbs of 2 heads of garlic, fresh rosemary, fresh bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for aprox 30 minutes - until vegetables are done. Remove the duck and vegetables from the pan and place on a serving platter. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of water, boil until thickened.

Sunday, December 20

Parsnip Gratin

The Bistros, Brasseries, and Wine Bars of Paris Everyday Recipes from the Real Paris by Daniel Young
Cookbook 51, Recipe 2, (total 106)

Spring parsnips after wintering in the ground are much sweeter than winter ones. Many cookbooks recommend simmering winter parsnips in milk to sweeten them. This is the first time I've tested the theory - It worked!

Did I like it?
Yummy - a great way to eat parsnips.

Recipe: Peel and thinly slice 1 lb of parsnips. Bring to a foam/light boil: 1 cup milk, 1 cup cream, 1 spring rosemary, 1 spring thyme, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves smashed garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and many grinds of pepper. Add the parsnips and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 35 minutes. Strain and move the parsnips to a 5x5 pan. Add 2 T of strained milk and top with grated parmesan. Broil until golden.

The recipe mentions that one chef specifically wants the parsnips cut into .0917 inch slices. Mine were of various sizes...

Sunday, December 13

Potato Gnocchi with Chestnuts, Bacon, and Fresh Herbs

The Bistros, Brasseries, and Wine Bars of Paris Everyday Recipes from the Real Paris by Daniel Young

Cookbook 51, Recipe 1, (total 105)

I found chestnuts from Iowa at the local co-op and have been looking for recipes to use them in. This one provided the easiest peeling method.

Did I like it? I was hoping for slightly better than gummy hockey pucks and was pleasantly surprised. These turned out great! The 112 eatery and craftsman are better - but these were pretty good.

Recipe:
Place three medium russet potatoes in a pot with cold water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil - then simmer fr 35 minutes. Cool just slightly. Slip off the skins and press through a ricer.

While the potatoes are boiling place 6 chestnuts in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for three minutes. Remove from water, peel and chop. To this add 4 slices of chopped (raw) bacon, 1.5 T chopped thyme and 1 T chopped rosemary.

To the riced potatoes add 1 1/3 cups flour, 1 egg yolk, half of the bacon mixture and salt and pepper to taste. Form this mixture into 1.5 inch balls and press into a football shape. Boil until they float, strain and place in ice water. Drain and pat dry.

In a pan melt 1/4 cup butter until it foams. Add the dried gnocchi cook until slightly browned - about 4 minutes. Add 1.5 cups chicken stock and the other half of the bacon mixture. Cook until stock is reduced by half.

Crushed Burdock with Sesame Dressing

Japanese Cooking A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji
Cookbook 50, Recipe 2 (total 104)

Burdock can be interesting to work with. It's usually raw or just barley cooked.


Did I like it?
Not so much. The burdock really picked up the flavors of the dashi - kombu and bonito flakes. I think I would have enjoyed it more without the dashi simmer - skip right to sesame dressing.

Recipe: Scrub 4 medium burdock roots and pound them slightly flat. Cut in to 1.5 inch long by 1/4 inch thick pieces. Cover with cold water and 1.5 Tablespoons vinegar - let stand for 1 hour. Rinse well and place into a pot with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 minutes. Drain and place into ice water. In the same pan place 1 1/4 cups dashi, 2 T mirin, 2 T soy sauce and 1/2 tsp salt, bring to a simmer and add the burdock. Simmer for 3 minutes and turn off the heat - cool in dashi. In a mortar and pestle pound 3T toasted white sesame seeds. Pound in 1.5 T dashi, 1 T sugar, 2 T vinegar and 1/2 T Soy sauce.

Tuesday, December 8

Savory Cup Custard (Chawan-mushi)

Japanese Cooking A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji
Cookbook 50, Recipe 1 (total 103)

If you are interested in Japanese Cooking - this cookbook is continually listed as the top reference written in English. This meal was a collaborative effort between Stephen & I.

Did I like it?
Delicious - It rode the very thin line of a sweet/savory combination. The chestnuts added an appropriate sweet element without making the dish sugary. I would describe this as steamed omelet floating in dashi. The cookbook makes it very clear that chicken stock is a very good substitution for the dashi.

Recipe:
Make the dashi: In a pot combine 4 cups of cold water and 1 oz of giant kelp. Slowly heat until just about to boil. Remove the kelp and add 1 oz dried bonito. Let it set in the water until it falls to the bottom of the pan - about 1 minute. Strain.

For the custard: Beat 4 eggs and gently whisk in 2.5 cups of dashi, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 T mirin and 1 T soy sauce.

Marinate the chicken: Combine 1 tsp sake and 1 tsp soy sauce in a small bowl. Add 3 oz of chicken cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Prepare the rest: slices four fresh chestnuts into thin slices, slice 12 leaves of spinach into thin slices, cut 4 shrimps in half.

Assemble: Divide the chicken, shrimp and chestnuts between four small bowls. Fill 1/2 way with the custard, add the spinach and top with remaining custard. Steam for 20 minutes.

Homemade Protein Bars

Molly Katzen's Sunlight Cafe Over 350 Easy recipes for irresistible muffins, glorious omelets, tasty pancakes, homemade protein bars, and other delights to launch and sustain your every day by Molly Katzen
Cookbook 49, Recipe 2, total (102)

By the time 6:00pm rolls around on Wednesday evenings - I have a hard time concentrating and wish I had time for dinner between work and school. Protein bars struck me as a great solution.

Did I like it? They may have tasted better than a cliff bar - unfortunately they are still a protein bar. Even though they ended up in the garbage - I'll still include the recipe. If you like these types of things...

Recipe:
Mix together 1 cup soy protein powder, 1/2 cup flour, 2 cups rolled oats, 1/2 cup oat bran, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, 2/3 cup brown sugar and one cup of chocolate chips. Mix together: 1.5 cups yogurt, 1/4 cup canola oil and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Combine the two mixtures and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, cut into squares, bake for 15 more minutes.

Sunday, November 29

Pumpkin Muffins

Molly Katzen's Sunlight Cafe Over 350 Easy recipes for irresistible muffins, glorious omelets, tasty pancakes, homemade protein bars, and other delights to launch and sustain your every day by Molly Katzen
Cookbook 49, Recipe 1, total (101)

Happy Thanksgiving! After five years of searching, I found Winter Luxury Pie pumpkin at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. I made two pumpkin pies with them and they made superior pumpkin pie filling!

Did I like it? The muffins were excellent! However, I would reserve the use of this special pumpkin to dishes that really feature the flavor.

Recipe: Mix together: 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 1.5 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp powdered ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 4 T white sugar, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and the grated zest of one orange (I used a tangerine). In another bowl mix together: 1 egg, 1 cup mashed pumpkin, 1 T vanilla, 1/2 cup milk and 4T melted butter. Dump the wet ingredients into the dry and scoop batter into muffin tins. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

Tuesday, November 24

Tangerine Scream

small bites big nights Seductive Little Plates for Intimate Occasions & Lavish Parties by Govind Armstrong
Cookbook 48, Recipe 2 (total 100)

I thought it would be fitting to make a drink for recipe #100! (Don't buy this book - not worth it)

Did I like it? It's not a bad drink, its just not a good drink. Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge kicks its butt on a bad day.

Recipe: Shake the juice of two tangerines, 2 oz run, 1/2 oz triple sec and a squeeze of lemon juice over ice. Strain and serve with appropriate embellishments.

I "consulted" Stephen yesterday on which rum I should use for this recipe. I decided I wanted a better rum this evening and chose differently. When he saw the rum bottle on the kitchen counter this evening he asked if it was the rum I used. When I confirmed - he said gave one of those Oohhs which really mean I see you disregarded my opinion. It turns out I did find a better rum - a 12 year Jamaican rum instead of an unspecified Dominican republic one.

Sunday, November 22

Buckwheat Crepes

small bites big nights Seductive Little Plates for Intimate Occasions & Lavish Parties by Govind Armstrong

Cookbook 48, Recipe 1 (total 99)

Purchasing this cookbook was an error in judgment. The sale price drew me in, the pictures and unique recipes sold me. Then I brought it home and thought about what I could make - very little. It's full of expensive ingredients, time consuming instructions and multi element plates that ultimately do not seem worth the effort.

Did I like it? I added almost a 1/2 cup extra milk before cooking the crepes twice as much as the recipe called for, this recipe is a failure in that respect. If I did not understand what a crepe batter should look like - it wouldn't have worked. Also, this is one element on a plate that also calls for blood orange sauce and fig-armagnac gelato. The taste was OK but definitely not worth seeking out this cookbook for.

Recipe: Mix together 1/3 plus 1 T buckwheat flour, 2 T flour and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix in 1 egg yolk followed by 1/2 cup of whole milk and 2T melted butter. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Mix in approximately another 1/2 cup milk - or until the batter is pourable and will spread thinly in the pan. Heat a pan over med-low heat and cook crepes. Serve with apple butter.

Apricot Bars

Mangiamo "Let's Eat" The Sebastiani Family Cookbook Revised Edition by Sylvia Sebastiani
Cookbook 47, Recipe 2, (total 98)

These are classic midwestern bars. Skip church and make them yourself!

Did I like it? Yes - I was happy to use up two jars of the lavender apricot jam I made earlier this summer. The lavender is a little strong when the jam is eaten plain on toast - in this it blends in great.

Recipe: Mix 1.5 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 cup brown sugar and 1.5 cups quick cooking oatmeal together and cut in 3/4 cups butter. Press 3/4 of this mixture into a 9x13 pan. Spread 2 cups of jam over the base and crumble the remaining 1/3 flour mixture over the top. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes.

Tuesday, November 17

Stewed Rabbit

Mangiamo "Let's Eat" The Sebastiani Family Cookbook Revised Edition by Sylvia Sebastiani
Cookbook 47, Recipe 1, (total 97)

My Aunt tricked me into eating a rabbit I liked when I was little. I saw rabbit for sale at the farmers market this week and thought it might be a good opportunity to try it again under better circumstances. I've decided it's OK to have this hang up. I apologized to Atilda & Earl (my pet cats for those of you who don't know) throughout the meal and promised them I would never do it again.

Did I like it? Flavor - great. Emotion - guilt. I couldn't get over thinking about eating a pet long enough to enjoy the flavor and as Stephen pointed out - it would be rude to kill and animal to eat and then not eat it just because I feel guilty. I had to tell myself - it's not pinky, it's not brownie, it's not newton...

Recipe: Heat 2T olive oil and 2 T butter in a dutch oven. Add a cut up 2.5 lb rabbit add salt and pepper and cook until brown. Remove from pot and add 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped stalks of celery, 1 chopped green pepper and 1 chopped clove of garlic. Cook until onion is browned. Add 1.5 cans of tomatoes a little tomato paste, 1 spring of fresh rosemary and 1 cup white wine. Cook over low heat 30 minutes uncovered. Add rabbit to sauce and cook covered for 45 minutes.

Sunday, November 15

Aquavit Sorbet

Kitchen of Light New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad
Cookbook 46, Recipe 2 (total 96)


Did I like it? The taste will depend on your aquavit. I used Krogstad Aquavit which has more liquorish flavor than the traditional Linie Aquavit. It's very pleasant and a little deceiving - the alcohol content of this sorbet is high enough that it will not freeze solid.

Recipe: Boil 1 cup sugar, zest of two lemons and 1.5 cups of water for five minutes. Add 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice and cool. Add 2/3 cup aquavit and pour into a pie pan place in the freezer. Fluff with a fork every 30 minutes (mine didn't start freezing until an hour).

Sunday, November 8

Lamb and Cabbage Stew

Kitchen of Light New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad
Cookbook 46, Recipe 1 (total 95)

The New Scandinavian Cooking Series with Andreas Viestad is my favorite cooking show. He is happy, enthusiastic and has great recipes.

Did I like it? I've made this recipe at least three times before - it's excellent. The only problem with this recipe is the water. The printed version calls for 4 cups, the TV episode calls to cover the cabbage and meat with water - in my experience that's 8 cups - twice as much.

Recipe: 4.5 lbs of misc. lamb cuts (a roast, a shank, neck bones and some ribs is a nice mix) cut into chunks. 1 cabbage cut in half and then thinly sliced. Into your largest pot layer the meat and cabbage. Add 2 T whole black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 3T butter and 1T flour, Add water and stop as it just approaches the top layer of cabbage. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then simmer for 2 hours. Add salt (aprox 1.5 T kosher) and simmer for 30 more minutes. Serve with bread and beer.

Croque Monsieur

The Harry's Bar Cookbook by Arrigo Cipriani
Cookbook 45, Recipe 2 (total 94)

I've always thought of a Croque Monsieur as a grilled cheese sandwich - it is - just a heck of a lot better than the horrible ones made with american cheese. Late in posting again - I made these on Tuesday. I had a midterm on Wednesday that I had to study for and then worked massive overtime Thursday - Saturday - I should be back on track now...

Did I like it? This flavor is one of those defined as classic. After tasting the first bite I realized I've had the combination of Swiss cheese and Worcestershire before. I didn't follow the recipes instructions to have the cheese at room temperature and discovered it is necessary if you want the cheese to completely melt - I would recommend following those instructions.

Recipe: Grate 1/2 lb of Swiss cheese and add 1 egg yolk, 1 T Worcestershire sauce, 1tsp dijon mustard, 1/16 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp salt. Try to smash it up well with each other - add a little cream to make it form a bit of a paste. Sandwich a thin slice of ham between two thin bread slices, each spread with cheese. Heat a pan with a film olive oil over medium heat until very hot. Fry the sandwiches on both sides. Serve with leftover leek soup from Monday.

Vellutata Di Porri (Leek Soup)

The Harry's Bar Cookbook by Arrigo Cipriani
Cookbook 45, Recipe 1 (total 93)

I'm late in posting again...

This was another difficult cookbook to use. They have an entire chapter on Truffles and like the James Beard cookbook, the recipes tend to be very heavy. I bought this cookbook for $1 at Half Price.

Did I like it? It tasted great but I would rather have a vichyssoise. I thought this would make a great base for a wild rice soup. It tasted better the next day for lunch.

Recipe: Melt 1/4 cup butter in a pot and saute 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 chopped onion, 8 chopped leeks (white part only) until softened. Add 1 large peeled diced potato and saute for a minute. Add 2 quarts of chick stock and cook until vegetables are soft. Puree and taste for salt and pepper.

Stephen helped with the recipe - he had most of the sauteing done before I came home last Monday - Thanks Stephen!

Thursday, October 29

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

James Beard's Menus for Entertaining Over 600 incomparable recipes - for every occasion from a roadside picnic to a formal dinner by James Beard
Cookbook 44, Recipe 2 (total 92)

Life got a little over busy these past two weeks and will continue for the next two as well. Stephen offered to help get me caught up this week by making a recipe from the book for me. I didn't expect spaghetti for breakfast but I'm not complaining!

This is a very difficult cookbook to cook from, the choices are either very 60's or very heavy. I've hemmed and hawed over what to cook more than any another cookbook this year. I'm glad Stephen stepped in to help - I don't like to cook from this book.

Did I like it? It was very rich in taste and would make a good once in a while dinner.

Recipe: Cut 1/4 lb of thick cut bacon in to 1/2 inch squares and cook. Remove from pan and deglaze pan with 5T white wine. Cook 1/2 lb of thin spaghetti, drain and return to pot. Add the bacon, and wine deglaze to the noodles. Mix in 1 well beaten egg (should cook due to hot noodles and wine deglaze) and pepper. Serve with parmesean.

Monday, October 19

Apple Tart (& Rich Pastry Dough)

James Beard's Menus for Entertaining Over 600 incomparable recipes - for every occasion from a roadside picnic to a formal dinner by James Beard
Cookbook 44, Recipe 1 (total 91)

The pie crust drew my attention to this recipe. No water, milk etc... just an egg yolk.

Did I like it? Delicious and deceptively simple. The vanilla flavor actually steams into the apples.

Recipe:
Rich Pastry Dough: Mix 1 cup flour with 1.5T sugar. Cut in 1/4 cup plus 2 T butter. Mix in 1 egg yolk and just enough of the white to make it come together. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Roll out for a tart pan (9 in round or 7 in square). (It called for 1.5 hard boiled egg yolk or 1 fresh egg yolk or 1 egg white. My one fresh egg yolk wasn't enough to pull the dough together so I added a very small portion of the white as well.)

Apples: 6 apples - peel, core and slice into sixths. Add slices along with 1tsp vanilla to a pan with 4 T melted butter. Cover and cook for 8 minutes - until tender - not mushy.

Assemble: Sprinkle the bottom of the tart pan with sugar. Place the apples in a even arrangement on top. Sprinkle with sugar and cook at 400 for 10 minutes and 350 for 25 minutes until browned. Cool. Melt apricot jam (see July 19th!), strain through a sieve and glaze the tart.

Sunday, October 18

Buttermilk Biscuits

hallelujah! the welcome table A lifetime of memories with recipes by Maya Angelou
Cookbook 43, Recipe 2 (total 90)

This recipe was created with the help of all three sisters - Wee Hoo. Eppie & Matt gave me the cookbook, Sarah gave me the french rolling pin and Rachel gave me the copper cookie cutter. THANKS SISTERS (and brother-in-law)! The pastry blender was a bridal shower gift from one of the Aunts - I can't remember which one gave it to me. I baked these biscuits to accompany chili on Thursday.

Did I like it? While the Cooks Illustrated buttermilk biscuits are a little fluffier out of the oven, these biscuits remain tender the next day. I will definitely add these to my biscuit options. The recipe called for lard, not butter.

Recipe: Blend 4 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 6 tsp baking powder and 1tsp baking soda together. With a pastry blender, cut in 1 cup of butter. Quickly stir in 2 cups of buttermilk and dump on to the counter. Quickly and lightly knead and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into biscuits and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Serve with apple butter! Stephen, his brother Jon, and I ate an entire jar of apple butter with these - yum!

Banana Pudding

hallelujah! the welcome table A lifetime of memories with recipes by Maya Angelou
Cookbook 43, Recipe 1 (total 89)

I'm a full week late in posting this recipe. I made this last Sunday.

Did I like it? This recipe tasted like it should have been a memory. My mother didn't make this for me as a kid - I'm betting many mothers did make it and their children would love this. Both Stephen and I found ourselves eating too much. The sugar drew me and then made me feel ill. I appreciate that this recipe uses the complete 8 eggs - yolks for the pudding and whites for the meringue.

Recipe: Combine 1/3 sugar, 1/3 cornstarch, a pinch of salt and 3 cups of whole milk in a pan. Cook until thick and boiling. Whisk a small amount into 8 beaten egg yolks, return this mixture to the pan and boil for another minute. Add 3T butter and 1 T vanilla extract. Set aside. In a 2 quart pan place 1.5 cups of vanilla wafers and 2 sliced bananas, top with 1/2 the pudding mixture. Repeat. Whisk the 8 egg whites into a meringue with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp cream of tarter. Top the pudding with the meringue and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool for 4 hours.

Monday, October 5

Lentils

The Whole Beast nose to tail eating by Fergus Henderson
Cookbook 42, Recipe 3 (total 88)

The salted duck leg recipe suggested serving it with lentils. I love du puy lentils and thought it would be an excellent plan.

Did I like it? As a stand alone lentil recipe - not so much. It was excellent with the duck legs though.

Recipe: Heat olive oil in a pan and add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped leek, 5 cloves of chopped garlic, and 2 chopped carrots. Sweat but do not brown. Add 1 lb of du puy lentils, an herb bundle (sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley) and water to cover. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally for 45 minutes. Add salt, pepper and chopped parsley at the end.

Poached Salted Duck Legs

The Whole Beast nose to tail eating by Fergus Henderson
Cookbook 42, Recipe 2 (total 87)

I certainly cook more this year than I ever have before. A year ago after a overtime day of work like today I would have cooked a pizza or ate ramen. I'm definitely getting used to eating dinner at a later time.

Did I like it? Alone they would be too salty, with lentils they were great. I think it would be interesting to try these cold with crusty bread and brie.

Recipe:Phase I: Brine duck legs (using the same brine as the brisket in the post just before this one) for one week.

Phase II: In a pot combine: 1 small head of garlic, 1 whole carrot, 1 leek split down the middle, 1 stalk of celery, 1 onion peeled and halved, 1 bay leave, a small herb bundle (sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley), 6 peppercorns and the duck legs rinsed from their week of brining. Cover with water, bring to a boil, simmer 1 hour. Serve with lentils.

Earl thought he should have been invited to dinner.

Saturday, October 3

Pot Roast Brisket

The Whole Beast nose to tail eating by Fergus Henderson
Cookbook 42, Recipe 1 (total 86)

Earlier in the year I cooked from Beyond Nose to Tail, the sequel to this one. The first is focused a little more on meat in general, the second is more obsessed with eating pigs feet.

I feel like I'm back in first grade this week. For a while in first grade my teacher would make me sit at a desk in the hallway to take my tests. The point was to make me pay attention to exactly what was on test without the external stresses of other people handing it in before I was done or paying attention to the clock on the wall to see exactly how fast (or slow) I was moving through the test. On Wednesday I received a low score on my homework - Why? I answered the wrong question. Today the meal was just barely on the acceptable side of too salty - Why? I didn't read unsalted chicken stock. Back to first grade - Slow down, concentrate and pay attention to the details!

Did I like it? For a cow it was excellent. This is basically a do it yourself corned beef. The braising liquid is delicious and would make some excellent gravy. Neither Stephen nor I have cooked brisket before. I thought the cut was a little fatty - Stephen said "I know - that's what makes it so great!".

Recipe:
Part one: Brine your 4lb piece of beef brisket for 5 days. Brine: Place the following in a pot: 2 cups sugar, 2 1/4 cups coarse sea salt, 12 juniper berries, 12 cloves, 12 black peppercorns, 3 bay leaves (fresh from my garden) and 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil to dissolve salt and sugar. Let set until completely cold.

Part two: In a 4 quart roasting pot place: 2 peeled chopped carrots, 3 chopped onions, 2 chopped leeks, 2 whole heads of garlic with their skins on, 1 bundle of fresh herbs (sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme). Place the beef on top and add 1 quart UNSALTED chicken stock and 2 cups of red wine (Carmenere is great with beef). Cook at 350 covered with foil for three hours.


Note: Please take a close look at the picture below. Note the different muscles in this cut of meat. Below the line of fatty sinew is a relatively lean piece. Look at the top portion and note the fat surrounding the little rounds of meat - Fascinating.

Gateau Aux Pommes (Warm Butter Apple Ring)

Paris in a Basket Markets - The Food and the People by Nicolle Aimee Meyer & Amanda Pilar Smith
Cookbook 41, Recipe 2 (total 85)

The good apples are starting to come back into season. Prairie and Northern Spy's are still a month away but Cortland have arrived!

Did i like it? Well... I have another failure on my hands. I was a little skeptical about this recipe but thought it had the possibility of tasting fabulous.

I believe the problem isn't in the recipe itself but in the translation from metric to imperial. It's too bad they didn't include both - it would be interesting to see if that's where the problem stems from. If it had a little more flour and much less butter (note the pooling of butter in the picture) it might have held together.

Recipe: Complete flop - don't bother.

Monday, September 28

Magret de Canard au Porto (Seared Magret of Duck in a Sweet Port Sauce)

Paris in a Basket Markets - The Food and the People by Nicolle Aimee Meyer & Amanda Pilar Smith
Cookbook 41, Recipe 1 (total 84)

There is a farmer at the Farmers Market who will butcher a duck for you with a day's notice. The Saturday before last I stopped by their stall and ordered one for the next week. When I went to pick it up this past Saturday and told the son (about 11 years old) I was there to pick up my duck - he responded with "quack quack quack I like to make duck noises". There's a reason I like ordering duck from them.

A recipe for next week requires a 5 day brining of duck legs, I started that brine today and had the rest of the duck left to work with. This recipe uses up the breasts so I'm now left with skin to render the fat from and bones to make a stock with. Wee Hoo!

Did I like it? Absolutely Delicious! Tender and Crispy! One of the best duck breast entrees I've ever eaten and it's soo easy! I'll try to tone down the !'s now.

Recipe: Simmer 1/4 cup port with 1/4 cup golden raisins for 10 minutes. Heat a heavy bottomed sauce pan over high heat. Add two duck breasts (with the skin scored) skin side down and don't move them for 8 minutes. Baste with rendered fat from time to time and spoon off the excess into a bowl as they cook. Flip and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Remove to foil and season with salt and pepper. Add 8 thin apple slices to the pan and cook for 30 seconds on each side - remove to two plates. Deglaze the pan with 3/4 cup port and bring to a boil. Add the reserved port/raisin mixture and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the duck from the foil and cut into slices and place on the sliced apples. Spoon some port sauce on top and serve with mashed potatoes. YUM!

Thursday, September 24

Squash and Spinach Roll

The Squash Celebrated In Recipes From Ancient Times To The Present by Arneo Nizzoli
Cookbook 40, Recipe 2 (Total 83)

I love butternut squash ravioli if it isn't made with brown sugar. Squash is usually sweet enough on it's own and it's so disappointing to order a squash dish in a restaurant only to find it tastes of brown sugar with a hint of squash. I'm always on the look out for pasta squash dishes without brown sugar or amaretto cookies.

Did I like it? The lemon zest made this dish bright and happy. The fact that it happened to taste good with my wine made it all the better. I would like to try two variations on this dish: combine both fillings and serve as a ravioli; try it with a different pasta dough and see how it affects the delicacy of the roll. Happy lesson today: Squash + lemon zest = delicious.

Recipe: Dough: Place 1.5 cups of flour on the counter, sprinkle some salt over it, make a well and add 1 egg and 1.5 T milk - mix with a fork and form into a dough. Refrigerate until ready to roll out.
Squash filling: Combine 250g of the cooked squash, zest of one lemon, 2 T grated Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
Spinach filling: Melt 1.5 T butter in a pan and add 5oz chopped spinach - cook until wilted. Place in a bowl and add 150g ricotta cheese, 2 T grated Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble: Run a kitchen towel under cold water and ring out. Roll the dough out into a length that will fit into your largest pot of boiling water (my roll just squeaked by so I made a note to pay attention to that). Top with squash and then top with spinach - avoiding the edges. Roll up the pasta and roll the pasta roll in the damp kitchen towel. Secure the ends with (unflavored) floss and boil in salted water for 18 minutes. Refrigerate. Cut into 1/2 slices, brush with browned sage butter, top with grated Parmesan cheese and broil until bubbling and just slightly browned.

Monday, September 21

Squash Molds with Star Aniseed Custard

The Squash Celebrated In Recipes From Ancient Times To The Present by Arneo Nizzoli
Cookbook 40, Recipe 1 (Total 82)

I have been wanting to cook out of this cookbook since Ma purchased it for me about a year ago from Half Price.

Did I like it? I'm sad to report a complete and abject failure! It seems I can not make custard. If you've been following this blog you will know that my only other complete failure was the Norwegian Lemon Custard. When it comes to cream puff and custard - I just don't have the skills.

Original Recipe: Do not try this - It completely failed.

What do you do with a bunch of runny "Squash Molds" (which are really baked custard) and more runny "Star Aniseed Custard". Make a cocktail and call it a day! After tossing out three attempts with rum, I switched to gin and found a winning match.

Recipe: 1 Part Aviator Gin, 2 Parts runny Star Aniseed Custard and 5 parts runny squash mold. Shake with ice and serve.

Saturday, September 19

Plum Cake "Tatin"

Barefoot in Paris Easy French Food You Can Make at Home by Ina Garten
Cookbook 39, Recipe 2 (Total 81)

Again, the farmers market dictates what I cook. Bob Bluebird Orchard is my favorite apple vendor at the market. They also dabble in plums and pears. I picked up some small deep blue plums that were absolutely the best plums I've ever eaten (I'm not generally a plum fan).

Thanks Ma for this cookbook~

Did I like it? One of the best desserts I've eaten in a while! Delicious! I was planning on making another this afternoon after visiting the market - unfortunately the season is over.

Recipe:
Butter a pie pan and arrange 12 halved plums on the bottom cut side down. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1/3 cup water in a pan and boil until it turns golden or reaches 360 degrees (do not stir after it reaches a boil). Pour over the plums. Beat 6T butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs at room temperature, one at a time. Gently mix in 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/2 tsp lemon zest and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Sift 1 cup+2T flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt together and mix into the butter mixture. Spread over the plums and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Provencal Vegetable Soup (Soupe Au Pistou)

Barefoot in Paris Easy French Food You Can Make at Home by Ina Garten
Cookbook 39, Recipe 1 (Total 80)

This past weeks posting are delayed due to a busy week. Hopefully it won't become a habit - I try to post the same day I cook.

After bringing our farmers market haul home last Saturday I looked through the remaining cookbooks to find one that would use more than one vegetable. This recipe used up five! I ate this for dinner on Sunday, lunch on Monday, dinner on Monday, lunch on Tuesday and then tossed the remaining out - I recommend making half or a fourth of the recipe.

Did I like it? If consumed within the first two hours it's great. The noodles got bloated after that and it's not as pleasant. Homemade chicken stock will make or break this recipe.

Recipe: Heat 2T of oil in a large pot and add 2 cups chopped onion and cook over low heat until translucent. Turn the heat up to medium and add 2 cups chopped leeks, 3 cups chopped potatoes, 3 cups chopped carrots, 1.5 T kosher salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes and then add 3 quarts chicken stock. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add 1/2 lb chopped green beans and 4 oz spaghetti broken into 2 inch lengths. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve and add pistou to taste. (The recipe also called for 1 tsp saffron threads - I really dislike saffron in soup so I left it out - add it with the green beans if you would like).

Pistou: Puree 4 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup tomato paste, 24 large basil leaves, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup olive oil.

Saturday, September 12

Mint-Flavored Fusilli Salad

Twelve Months of Monastery Salads 200 Divine Recipes for all Seasons by Brother Victor-Antoine D'Avila-Latourrette
Cookbook 38, Recipe 2 (Total 79)

The tomato salad was for lunch and for dinner I debated between a pasta or lentil salad.

Did I like it? I wish I had chosen the lentil salad. If I were to make this salad again, I would decrease the pasta to 1/4 lb, increase the fennel to 1 full bulb and add the entire cucumber.

Recipe: Cook 1/2lb of fusilli pasta and place into a large bowl. Add: 1 chopped heirloom tomato, 1/2 peeled, seeded cucumber, 1/2 thinly sliced onion, 1/2 thinly sliced fennel bulb and 1/3 cup chopped mint. Whisk together: 3T olive oil, 2 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp dry mustard and add salt and pepper to taste. Dress the salad and serve.

Tomato and Olive Salad from the Lazio (Insalta di Pomodori e Olive Nere)

Twelve Months of Monastery Salads 200 Divine Recipes for all Seasons by Brother Victor-Antoine D'Avila-Latourrette
Cookbook 38, Recipe 1 (Total 78)

Eppie and Matt's cake and wedding took over the last Wednesday - Monday. WeeHoo - Congratulations Eppie & Matt!

I've been saving this cookbook for late summer salads. I purchased a bunch of veggies today and came home to see what I could put together with this cookbook.

Did I like it? It tasted like a classic tomato salad. I'm beginning to appreciate the taste of olives - for the moment I would only include two - five was a little too many for me.

Recipe: Place slices of a heirloom tomato on a plate. Top with slices of fresh mozzarella and thin slices of red onion. Top with 2-5 olives and garnish with finely chopped basil. In a bowl combine 2 T olive oil and 1 T red wine vinegar with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle on the salad to taste.

Tuesday, September 1

Milk with Cinnamon

My Egyptian Grandmother's Kitchen Traditional Dishes Sweet and Savory, By Magda Mehdawy
Cookbook 37, Recipe 2 (Total 77)

Tonight I sifted 12 cups of cake flour, made 4 cups of peach schnapps syrup, cut parchment rounds for six cake pans and finalized my plans for the decoration of Eppie's wedding cake. So - I went looking for an easy recipe - I found it!

Did I like it? The first half was delicious. Stop there! Don't venture into the second half of the cup.

Recipe: To 1 cup of milk add 1T cinnamon (yes 1 Tablespoon) and 1 T sugar. Bring to a boil. Serve.

Monday, August 31

Cauliflower Torte

My Egyptian Grandmother's Kitchen Traditional Dishes Sweet and Savory, By Magda Mehdawy
Cookbook 37, Recipe 1 (Total 76)

I purchased a huge cauliflower from the farmers market on Sunday and we had a little over a pound of ground beef left over from Eppie's Picnic on Saturday. This recipe used both up nicely. I have today and tomorrow only to use this weeks cookbook. Wednesday I will bake Eppie's wedding cake and we head to Madison on Thursday. I'm getting crunched for time so Stephen helped me today.

Did I like it? Well - it's pretty straight forward - beef with cauliflower on the side. I wouldn't make it again. We both enjoyed the taste of cauliflower cooked in cumin water and would try to adapt that method for a different use.

Recipe: Bring water to a boil with 1 tsp cumin and 2 tsp salt. Add 3 cups of cauliflower and boil for 5 minutes, rinse in cold water. Cook 250oz of beef, place in a pan and surround with the cauliflower. Add 2 eggs to 1/2 cup milk and 2T flour - pour over beef. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Wednesday, August 26

Badam Gosht (Lamb with Almonds)

The Turmeric Trail Recipes and Memories From an Indian Childhood by Raghavan Iyer
Cookbook 36, Recipe 2 (Total 75)

I was thwarted throughout the cooking of this recipe:
I couldn't find my whole cloves - I used ground
I couldn't find a red onion - I used white
No water was releasing from the lamb - I added 1/2 a cup
My food processor was broken - I used a coffee grinder which mangled things badly.

Did I like it? It still turned out well despite the substitutions and adjustments from the recipe. The sauce nicely accents the meat.

Recipe: Heat 2T of oil in a pan. Add 1 tsp cumin and cook for 15 seconds. Grind together: 1/2 cup onion, 4 cloves, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp ground cloves. Add to the cumin and cook for 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds and cook until golden brown. Add 1 lb lamb cut into 1 inch cubes. Recipe then says to cook until it all water that the lamb released is evaporated. (My lamb did not give any water. I cooked the lamb for about 5 minutes - until the sauce looked like it would burn. Then I added 1/3 cup water and cooked until the pan was dry again.) Add 1/2 cup half and half, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp garam masaala. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Monday, August 24

Besan Mirch Subzi (Assorted Bell Peppers with Roasted Garbanzo Bean Flour)

The Turmeric Trail Recipes and Memories From an Indian Childhood by Raghavan Iyer
Cookbook 36, Recipe 1 (Total 74)

Once again, my recipe choice was dictated by the produce I purchased at the Farmers Market this weekend. The red peppers looked fabulous but needed to be used as soon as possible. We also canned 22 jars of tomatoes this weekend - Wee Hoo! I believe I've only purchased 2 cans of tomatoes in the past four years.

Did I like it? Again, I am surprised to say yes. The recipe is weird - throw in toasted flour and then stir in water (to form a mush?). As the commentary stated - the flour forms "delectable clumps" around the peppers. I also decreased the cayenne from 1/2 tsp to 1/4 tsp knowing that I didn't want much pain in my mouth this evening.

Recipe: In a large skillet brown over medium-low heat 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour, also called chickpea flour. This will take about 6 minutes. Remove from the pan and heat 2T oil. Add 1tsp cumin and cook for 15 seconds. Add 1 lb peppers chopped into one inch hunks. Cook until the peppers are blistered. Add the reserved flour, 1T salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne, and 2T chopped parsley. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup water.

Monday, August 17

Orzo Salad with Basil-Sherry Vinagrette

The Spirited Vegetarian Over 100 Recipes Made Lively with Wine and Spirits by Paulette Mitchell
Cookbook 35, Recipe 2 (Total 73)

I purchased this cookbook at Seed Savers on the drive home from visiting Eppie in Alabama. With corn to use up from the Farmers Market, I chose this recipe.

Did I like it? Not so much, it's a little bland for me. Something with heat or more herbs would improve it.

Recipe:
For the dressing: Whisk together: 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 T sweet sherry, 1 T lemon juice, 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves, 1/4 tsp salt and a couple grinds of pepper.

Cook 3/4 cup orzo in boiling water, rinse with cold and place in a bowl. Add: 1 cup cooked corn on the cob (taken off the cob), 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes, and 1/4 cup of the dressing. Set in the refrigerator over night. In the morning add the remaining dressing and eat for lunch.

Saturday, August 15

Poached Pear Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

The Spirited Vegetarian Over 100 Recipes Made Lively with Wine and Spirits by Paulette Mitchell
Cookbook 35, Recipe 1 (Total 72)

We purchased some lovely pears from the farmers market this morning and I wanted to find a non-dessert recipe feature them. About a month ago I made a current infused vodka which I used today in place of the Creme de Cassis with excellent results - smile.

Did I like it? While eating this I asked myself:
Why did I choose a recipe with blue cheese and walnuts when I know I don't like them and why after choosing this recipe featuring ingredients I don't like, did I not wait to make it when Stephen would be home to enjoy it (he likes blue cheese and walnuts)? This recipe features a very classic pairing of ingredients. It should taste wonderful and does if you like the taste of blue cheese and walnuts. I ate four bites with them and then picked them out. The pears are absolutely delicious! The vinaigrette stayed emulsified and coated the leaves perfectly. An excellent recipe if you leave out the offending cheese and walnuts. Also - the coating of the walnuts does not add anything to their taste - neither sweet nor salt - don't bother.

The recipe called for walnut oil which is extremely pricey - I used olive oil instead. I also discovered that I did not have any red wine vinegar. In looking through my stash of ingredients I found a cassis vinegar that Rachel gave me - it worked out perfectly!

Recipe:
(don't bother with this part) Melt 1 T butter in a pan and add 1T corn syrup, 1 tsp water and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and then add 1 cup of walnuts - stir to coat. Bake the walnuts at 250 for 1 hour stirring occasionally.

Heat together 1 cup creme de cassis, 1 cup Shiraz, zest of 1 lemon, 2T lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Add six small peeled pears and simmer for 15 minutes or until just softened. Remove the pears and continue to simmer the liquid until syrupy.

For the dressing: Whisk together 2T olive oil, 2 cassis vinegar, 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp brown sugar and two pinches of salt. Dress some spinach (I used about 2.5 tsp to a cup of spinach). Top with blue cheese, walnuts, and a poached pear.

Thursday, August 13

Parmesan Risotto

Italian Classics by the editors of COOKS's ILLUSTRATED magazine
Cookbook 34, Recipe 2, (Total 71)

When I started this project I decided it would be a good time to try cooking risotto. It wasn't has hard as I thought - in fact it was pretty darn easy. I've read cookbooks that call for stirring five rotations to the right, then five rotations to the left, back five rotations to the right etc. That I will not do. This recipe took about 45 minutes start to finish.

Did I like it? I'd say it was tasty and cooked correctly. A nice slice of pork roast on the side would have completed the meal.

Recipe:Heat 3 cup water and 3.5 cups chicken stock in a pot and keep at a simmer.

Finely dice one onion and saute it with 1/2 tsp salt in 4 T of butter that has been heated until it stops foaming. Cook until the onion is very soft. Add 2 c Arborio rice and cook until the edges are translucent. Add 1 cup of Chardonnay and cook until it is fully absorbed. Add 3 cups of the heated water/stock and stir every couple of minutes until it is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the liquid and cook until absorbed - repeat until the liquid is gone. Stir in 1 cup grated pecorino and serve.

Wednesday, August 12

Rice Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Parmesan, Peas, and Prosciutto

Italian Classics by the editors of COOKS's ILLUSTRATED magazine
Cookbook 34, Recipe 1, (Total 70)

I started cooking the rice for this recipe at 10:00pm last night. I mention this because I totally screwed it up. Oh well. I just cooked the rice like I normally do: 2 cups water with 1 cup rice - boil - cover - reduce heat - cook 12 minutes. I was supposed to toast the rice and cook it in less water. I'll give you the directions for the method I used - I recommend following the book.

Did I like it? I don't use balsamic vinegar very much but I appreciate it on the occasions that I do taste it. All in all it was OK - I think cooking the rice the suggested way would have resulted in a vastly superior product.

Recipe: Cook one cup of rice and set aside to cool. In a bowl combine: 2 T olive oil, 1 T balsamic vinegar, 1 chopped clove of garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper. Add to this the cooled rice (mine was added warm resulting in a gooey mess:( To this add: 1/2 cup frozen peas, 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes, 1 oz chopped prosciutto, 1/4 grated pecorino (I couldn't find parm in the grocery store last night!) and 1/4 cup chopped basil. Refrigerate and eat for lunch.

Monday, August 10

Mexican Shortbread Cookies

Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
Cookbook 33, Recipe 2 (Total 69)

Life gets busy. I baked these last Thursday and am finally posting them. They didn't make it out of the oven until late and we were out of town for the weekend - thus I'm slow at posting.

Did I like it? They are a very pleasant shortbread. After assembling the recipe I thought it was doomed - these are very dry. They cooked up perfect. If you are in the mood for a light shortbread - bake these.

Recipe: In a food processor combine 4 oz butter, 2.5 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 tsp salt - process. Dump into a gallon size plastic bag. Flatten the mixture with your hands until it's 1/4 in thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cut into cookies and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar after removing them from the oven.

Wednesday, August 5

Bass with Zucchini and Toasty Garlic Mojo

Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
Cookbook 33, Recipe 1 (Total 68)

Dyanna & Jason gave Stephen & I this book for Christmas - it's even signed by Mr Bayless and addressed to us!

Uncle Dale took Stephen & I on a full day of fishing this past Saturday. We are now officially known as "The Swim Team". Stephen promptly dumped me in the river by flipping the canoe as he got in at the start of the fishing trip. I was extremely successful (thanks to uncle dale) on my first real fishing trip. My catches that we kept were: 3 small mouth bass, 1 northern and 1 catfish. The northern was caught beneath an eagles nest with two eagle babies watching. Yes - I hooked my own worms and released my own fish. No - I did not clean the fish - Uncle Dale did that.

Did I like it? Yes - It was very easy to make and tasted great. I've decided I like fresh caught fish, they taste leagues better than anything store bought.

Recipe: In a large skillet heat up 1/3 cup olive oil. Add 8 cloves of peeled, halved garlic and cook until lightly browned. Remove garlic and puree with 2/3 cup chicken stock and 1/2 tsp salt. Using the same olive oil cook 1 lb of fresh caught bass from the Cloquet River until done and remove to a warming plate in a 175 degree oven. To the oil add 1 lb of chopped zucchini and cook until just browned. Add the garlic sauce and 1/2 cup chopped parsley (cilantro if you like it) and bring to a boil. Place the fish on a plate and top with sauce and zucchini.

Thursday, July 30

Braised Lamb Shanks with Lemon and Mint

The Best Recipe by the Editors of COOK'S ILLUSTRATED Magazine
Cookbook 32, Recipe 2, (Total 67)

We purchased another 1/2 a lamb from Bob Otis this spring. I'm always on the look out for a good method of cooking the shanks, they tend to be a little tough.

Did I like it? This was one of the best shank recipes I've tasted. They are nice and tender yet still firm.

Recipe: Heat 1 T oil in a sauce pan over medium high and add 2 lamb shanks. Cook until nicely browned on all sides. Remove the shanks and set aside. To the pan add: 1 thickly sliced onion, 2 small carrots peeled and cut in 2 inch hunks, 1 stock of celery cut in 2 in hunks, 2 cloves of garlic peeled, 1 T tomato past, 1 T chopped mint, 1/2 a lemon peel removed and cut in half. Cook for 5 minutes - until slightly slightly softened. Add 1 cup of Chardonnay and 1.5 cups chicken stock - bring to a simmer. Add the shanks back to the pan - cover and place in a 350 degree oven for 1.5 hours. Remove cover and cook for 30 minutes, flip the shanks and cook for 30 more minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes.

If you like to eat bone marrow - these is a premium recipe.