Eaten anything interesting lately?

New Potatoes with Sorrel Sauce and Truffle Salt

2011-06-12T18:57:00.007-05:00

When Stephen is away Tabitha will cook with duck fat and truffle salt.

While I enjoy cooking for others, it is nice at times to cook only for myself, to not consider the dislikes of the other person(s). I knew that I would be able to cook for just myself tonight and started thinking about what I wanted this afternoon.

The ingredients I needed to work with:
New red potatoes - purchased from the farmers market yesterday and one of my long standing favorites. Sorrel - weeded from the garden this afternoon, a leafy green with a lemony bite.

The ingredients I wanted to work with:
Salt - I received six speciality salts from my mother for my birthday. Duck fat - rendered by me a while ago.

Boil a bunch of new potatoes until they are just tender. Drain and leave to dry out on a baking sheet. Heat 2 tsp of rendered duck fat in a pan until quite hot. Throw one potato in to test the heat - if it sizzles you are set to go. Throw the rest in and shake them about for around 20 seconds. Dump back onto the baking sheet and throw into a 415 degree oven. Bake until crispy.

Chop up around 1.5-2 cups of sorrel. Melt 2 tsp of butter in a sauce pan, add the sorrel and cook until wilted. Add 3/4 cup of vegetable stock and cook over medium heat until thick and mushy. Set aside. Meanwhile heat 1.5 cups of whole milk. In the same sauce pan (now rinsed) melt 2 T of butter. Add 3 T of flour and cook until it loosens up. Slowly add heated milk until it has a thick consistency. Add the reserved sorrel and cook for another minute or two. Add remaining milk until desired consistency. Finish with salt, paprika and pepper to taste.

Serve potatoes with two options for topping: Sorrel sauce and truffle salt.

I was worried about over salting my potatoes by salting them once out of the oven and then again by dipping in truffle salt. I could have either over salted the sauce or dipped each sauced potato first in salt. I chose to dip in a Mayan sea salt before the sauce.

Raised Potato Doughnuts

2011-05-22T12:45:00.006-05:00

My friends came over for dinner, doughnuts and drinks yesterday. Of the three doughnuts I made - these were my favorite!

The recipe is from Greg Patent's Baking In America. I've had hit and miss luck with this cookbook - this was a definite hit.

Scald 3/4 cup whole milk with 1T sugar - when cool - pour over 2.5tsp yeast. When yeast is proofed add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1.5 tsp vanilla, 8 T soft butter, 1 cup of mashed russet potato, 3 eggs and 3 cups of flour. Add up to 2 cups more flour - until the dough is just this side of stickiness. Here you are supposed to let it raise for 1.5 hours. I did not have time as I made this on Friday night after bookclub. I put it straight into the refrigerator for an overnight rest. Roll the dough out to a 1/3 inch thickness. It's pretty springy so I had to roll - rest - roll - rest etc... in order to get it that thin. Cut with a doughnut cutter and raise until they are light and puffed. Fry in 365 degree vegetable oil for 2 minutes a side. After 30 seconds of draining on a paper towel dip into a mixture of 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp almond extract and 1/2 cup milk. The glaze will harden in about 30 minutes.

Chestnut and Pancetta Soup

2011-03-28T07:43:00.002-05:00

This soups is from a book I've checked out from the library, The Soups of France by Lois Rothert. I need to add this one to my collection!

Place a pot over medium heat and add 1/4 lb finely diced pancetta - cook until crisp and set aside. Drain the fat from the pan and add 2 T back in. Add 2 large chopped onions and 2 thinly sliced and chopped fennel bulbs. Cook over low heat until soft. Add 2 quarts of water, 1 can of roasted chestnuts (roughly chopped), 2 tsp salt and a couple grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil - then simmer for 35 minutes. Puree and taste for salt and pepper. Serve with pancetta.

Makes 6 1.5 cup servings. Delicious!

Cannellini and Celery Root Gratin

2011-03-28T07:28:00.003-05:00

I was looking for a new way of using celery root based this recipe on one found in Mark Bittmann's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. I made this last Wednesday - it's takes a bit of time after work - don't expect to eat before 7:30.

In the morning place 1.5 cups of cannellini beans in a bowl and cover with water. When you get home drain and place in a large pot with fresh water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until done (50 minutes for my batch). Drain.

Melt 1.5 T butter in a large saute pan over medium heat - add 1 celery root chopped into 1 inch cubes. Cook until they begin to brown. Add one chopped up onion along with 1.5 tsp salt and pepper to taste - cook until soft. Add 1/4 cup white wine and turn off the heat. Add cooked beans, 3/4 cup water, 1 tsp regular paprika, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram and 1 tsp dried oregano. Dump into a buttered dish. Top with a mixture of equal parts bread crumbs and grated parmesan. Bake at 400 for 40 minutes.

It made dinner for Stephen and I plus two frozen lunch servings.

Artichoke Ravioli with Avocado Sauce

2011-03-21T19:48:00.004-05:00

Some of you might know that avocado's are not my favorite item to eat...

Last week Stephen served omelets for breakfast with a topping of canned artichoke, avocado, scallion, garlic, and onion blitzed together in the food processor (all raw) that was delicious.

Work was not so interesting today and I got to thinking about the frozen artichokes in the freezer and the avocado on the counter top. So I made an interesting dinner.

For the filling: blitz a large handful of parsley, 1 T capers along with a nice amount of their brine, and some pickled ramps. Add 1 pgk frozen artichokes steamed (although having now used them I like the canned version better), 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, a T of your preferred vinegar (not balsamic though) salt, and pepper - blitz together.

Roll out your preferred pasta and stuff accordingly.

Meanwhile simmer 1 cup of white wine (something citrus) down to 1/2 cup - keep warm. When the ravioli is cooked - add it to 1 mashed avocado and a bunch of chopped basil.

I don't want this everyday but it was interesting.

Winter Soup

2011-03-21T08:08:00.003-05:00

I decided to start this up again with a soup theme. Some from cookbooks some not.

This is one I've been thinking about for a while. I tried last Sunday and just as I was going to throw the baking sheet of veggies into roast - I broke a glass ramekin all over it. Needless to say I threw it in the garbage and quit cooking for the day. Sadly this is not an uncommon occurrence. Anyway - I was successful yesterday.

Roughly chop and throw onto a cookie sheet: 2 peeled parsnips, 1 peeled carrot, 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, and about 4 inches of a butternut squash neck. Add 1 bulb of garlic separated into cloves. Toss with 1 T olive oil, a bunch of freshly chopped rosemary, a bunch of freshly chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Until browned and soft.

Meanwhile, melt 1 T butter in your preferred soup pot. Add one chopped up leek and cook on low while the other veggies roast.

Dump the roasted veggies into the soup pot, add 6 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Throw in a stalk of sage, two of thyme, one of rosemary and three of marjoram along with two dried bay leaves. Cook until the squash is falling apart and the carrots are tender - about 40 minutes. Taste occasionally for salt. Remove the stalks of herbs and bay leaves. Blend and serve.

This made enough for dinner (with bread and beer) and three lunches (without beer).

Curried Chickpeas with Leftover Squash and Lamb

2010-10-18T18:39:00.004-05:00

The mission use up leftover lamb roast and baked black futsu squash.

The solution cook two shallots in a little olive oil, add a hefty amount of curry powder (your choice - mine was leaning toward the Moroccan side of life) and cook until the curry powered smells good and toasted. Add a can of rinsed chickpeas and cook for a minute or so. Add about a 1/2 cup water - cover and cook until dry again - if the chickpeas need more softening repeat. Add 1/2 a baked futsu squash (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup) and cook until dry. Add another 1/2 cup water along with chopped leftover lamb roast. Cook covered until the roast is to your taste of falling-apartness - adding more water as necessary. Serve on a tortilla with sour cream.

This was the last portion of the 1/2 lamb we purchased a year ago from Bob. (We're trying to clean out our freezer.)

Also - you'll notice the theme of squash lately. I never seem to learn my lesson. Each fall as I find unique/old varieties of squash for sale, I find myself suffering an attack of squash hording.

Bacon Squash Pasta

2010-10-13T18:38:00.003-05:00

Cooking for several purposes at once.
On Monday I made baked a potato for dinner. While I had the oven on baking my dinner - I threw in extra potatoes and a black futsu squash for use later in the week. This morning I made peasant potatoes from the baked potatoes and this evening I made dinner out of half the squash. On Sunday while canning Apple Butter - I placed an egg in an empty mason jar and boiled it along with the apple butter for the 10 minutes of processing - perfect for the dinner salad that evening.

Tonight's Dinner
I should have made slightly less or more. It was too much for me to eat all of it with not enough left over for lunch tomorrow.
Fry 2 strips of bacon - remove from pan and drain most of the drippings off. Cook a little chopped onion and 1 clove chopped garlic in the same pan. When almost cooked through add in chopped sage and a pinch of cumin seed. Deglaze with some slightly old white wine from the refrigerator (3 days in my case). Add about a 1/2 cup (may have been more like 3/4) mashed black futsu squash and enough cream to loosen up the entire mixture. Add milk, water or more cream to achieve desired consistency. Chop the bacon and add to the mixture with more chopped sage. Serve over cooked linguine.

More uses for Smoked Chicken

2010-10-04T20:17:00.004-05:00

My main goal tonight was to use up the remaining smoked chicken and the sad looking 2 pints of beat up cherry tomatoes from the CSA.

So I took the vadalia onion from the CSA and cooked it fairly quickly in some olive oil, added two smashed garlic cloves and then the 2 pints of cherry tomatoes chopped in quarters. To this add a length of thyme, sage and oregano along with some salt. I cooked this down with a cover until it was almost dry. Then I added the remaining cream (I think 1/4 cup) and the remaining smoked chicken (maybe a cup/cup and a half). Check for salt and stuff into two hollowed out delicata squash. Cook at 375 for (Dang it - i forgot to keep track again - sorry). Open it up and mash the squash with the filling.

Also - I had left over filling so I cooked up some elbow macaroni and tossed it with the filling for lunch tomorrow.

Almost Free Soup

2010-10-04T18:23:00.005-05:00

Kent & Chrysa let us have their CSA share while they are on vacation. It came with a red cabbage that I thought would be good with lamb soup.

So...while looking over Bob's meat options on Saturday I selected a yummy set of lamb ribs (not much meat attached - just ribs). I decided that would be best for the soup. Stephen complained a little that it was the most expensive cut. In my head I disagreed and chose to just pick up my ribs anyway. The first thing Bob says when we give him our selections is "Ribs are on me". Wee Hoo!

So cut up 1/2 a free red cabbage, 1/2 a $1 green cabbage, slice the ribs apart and place in a pot and cover with water about an inch below the food level. Top with salt, whole pepper corns, 1 T butter and 2 T flour. Bring to a boil - cover and simmer for an hour.

Pasties!

2010-10-04T18:13:00.004-05:00

While shopping at the Farmers Market on Saturday I decided to make pasties. I've been eating too many frozen burritos for lunch. I had a full day all to my self so after Stephen left for work I ran to the library and The Wine Thief and got to work.

It's been eons since I made pasties.

My mixture contains:
1 large celery root (celeriac)
1 lb cooked ground hamburger
6 (i think) peeled, diced carrots
1/2 the amount of potatoes from Kent & Chrysa's CSA
loads of thyme, oregano and sage from my garden (at least 1/4 cup chopped)
Salt & Pepper

Pasty dough - tested and proven my Ma Armstrong
mix: 3c flour, 1.5 tsp salt, 1.5 tsp baking powder
cut in: 1 cup butter
add: 1 egg beaten with 1 T vinegar
add: 6 T water
Makes 10 standard size. My mixture above made 20 pasties.

350 - until they look and test done (with a fork through the vents) - I forgot to time it for this instruction.

Quicker Use of Squash

2010-09-29T20:45:00.004-05:00

What I needed to use:
The bulb end of a butternut squash
A thawed smoked chicken

All I really wanted was bread and cheese. I could live off bread and cheese. With no bread on hand I searched for a suitable replacement and the best I could come up with was Kavli.

So:
Bake some thinly sliced squash (coated with olive oil and salt) and half way through add some thinly sliced apples rubbed with curry powder. Place Kavli on a cookie sheet and top with smoked chicken, baked squash, curried apples and some chunked up gruyere. Broil until done and serve with beer!

Butternut Squash Pizza

2010-09-28T17:53:00.005-05:00

So it's been a while! The 2009 year definitely improved my cooking skills.

I thought I'd start posting what I cook and how I adjust recipes to what I want.

Yesterday I wanted something yummy for dinner with butternut squash that wasn't soup, pasta or galette. I searched epicurious for butternut squash and sage. I found pizza: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Butternut-Squash-Parmesan-and-Sage-Pizzas-11360

So I altered the recipe in these ways.
For the sauce - I brought 1c milk + .5 c cream to a simmer with a large handful of sage, oregano and thyme from the garden and let it steep off the heat for 20 minutes - then squeezed the herbs dry and tossed them out. Then I smooshed in 1 head of roasted garlic, added chopped sage and thyme, the 2T of flour and cooked.

For the squash - I cooked it at 420 for 35 minutes (it doesn't turn brown) (i cooked it along with the garlic for the sauce).

For the toppings - I cooked 6 shallots on low heat for an hour; took a sliced red pepper out of the freezer to thaw; grated some parmesan and gruyere; chopped four fresh tomatoes from the garden, and finally finely chopped some more sage and thyme.

Assembling & Cooking - I prebake my pizza dough for 15 minutes - poke any bubbles and then add toppings. Cook for an additional 30-40 minutes. Also - I want one lg pizza not four small ones.

YUM!

Free-Form Apple Tart of Galette

2009-12-29T19:19:00.003-06:00

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

2009-12-29T19:07:00.003-06:00

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.

Parsnip Gratin

2009-12-20T20:55:00.007-06:00

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...

Potato Gnocchi with Chestnuts, Bacon, and Fresh Herbs

2009-12-13T18:42:00.004-06:00

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

2009-12-13T18:18:00.003-06:00

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.

Savory Cup Custard (Chawan-mushi)

2009-12-08T20:29:00.004-06:00

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

2009-12-08T20:15:00.003-06:00

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.

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-11-29T14:34:00.002-06:00

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.

Tangerine Scream

2009-11-24T18:27:00.006-06:00

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.

Buckwheat Crepes

2009-11-22T18:03:00.004-06:00

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

2009-11-22T13:10:00.002-06:00

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.

Stewed Rabbit

2009-11-17T20:11:00.004-06:00

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.

Aquavit Sorbet

2009-11-15T15:52:00.003-06:00

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).

Lamb and Cabbage Stew

2009-11-08T20:10:00.004-06:00

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

2009-11-08T10:08:00.003-06:00

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)

2009-11-08T09:55:00.003-06:00

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!

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

2009-10-29T20:44:00.003-05:00

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.

Apple Tart (& Rich Pastry Dough)

2009-10-19T19:26:00.005-05:00

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.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2009-10-18T14:47:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-18T14:36:00.003-05:00

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.

Lentils

2009-10-05T20:20:00.003-05:00

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

2009-10-05T20:06:00.004-05:00

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.

Pot Roast Brisket

2009-10-03T20:42:00.004-05:00

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)

2009-10-03T20:34:00.003-05:00

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.

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

2009-09-28T20:28:00.003-05:00

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!

Squash and Spinach Roll

2009-09-24T19:52:00.005-05:00

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.

Squash Molds with Star Aniseed Custard

2009-09-21T20:27:00.003-05:00

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.

Plum Cake "Tatin"

2009-09-19T19:23:00.005-05:00

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)

2009-09-19T18:48:00.004-05:00

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.

Mint-Flavored Fusilli Salad

2009-09-12T19:46:00.004-05:00

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)

2009-09-12T19:36:00.004-05:00

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.

Milk with Cinnamon

2009-09-01T21:39:00.003-05:00

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.

Cauliflower Torte

2009-08-31T20:22:00.002-05:00

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.

Badam Gosht (Lamb with Almonds)

2009-08-26T18:28:00.003-05:00

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.

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

2009-08-24T18:09:00.004-05:00

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.

Orzo Salad with Basil-Sherry Vinagrette

2009-08-17T17:47:00.004-05:00

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.

Poached Pear Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

2009-08-15T18:48:00.006-05:00

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.

Parmesan Risotto

2009-08-13T19:10:00.004-05:00

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.

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

2009-08-12T17:29:00.004-05:00

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.

Mexican Shortbread Cookies

2009-08-10T19:55:00.003-05:00

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.

Bass with Zucchini and Toasty Garlic Mojo

2009-08-05T19:00:00.004-05:00

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.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Lemon and Mint

2009-07-30T21:28:00.002-05:00

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.

Sour Cherry Cobbler with Rich Shortcake Topping

2009-07-28T21:22:00.004-05:00

The Best Recipe by the Editors of COOK'S ILLUSTRATED Magazine
Cookbook 32, Recipe 1, (Total 66)

This is an excellent cookbook. The messiest page is for German Chocolate Cake.

I purchased sour cherries at the Madison Farmers Market this weekend. Stephen also purchased them at the St. Paul Farmers Market. The Madison fruit was much superior and is being used to make Maraschino Cherries. The St. Paul fruit was used in this cobbler. It's surprisingly difficult to find recipes for Sour cherries - this is the only recipe I could find in my remaining 20 cookbooks for this project.

Did I like it? This NEEDS whipping cream or ice cream! The cherry flavor is great...and extremely potent. This recipe turned out very runny also - I'm not sure that more cornstarch is the trick - maybe letting the sugar sit on the cherries for 10 minutes and then draining off the liquid would help.

Recipe:
In a 9" deep dish pan place, 1.75 lbs of pitted sour cherries, 3/4 cup sugar,1.5 T cornstarch and 2 tsp almond flavoring. In a food processor add 1 cup flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt - blend. Add 6 T butter and process. Add 7 T milk. Dump mixture onto plastic wrap - cover with plastic wrap and pat into a circle to top your baking pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and cook at 375 for 40 minutes. Serve warm

Classic American Jams; Rhubarb

2009-07-19T17:05:00.008-05:00

The New Making of a Cook The Art, Techniques, and Science of Good Cooking by Madeleine Kamman
Cookbook 31, Recipe 2 (Total 65)

Tabitha's rules for making jam:
1. Always wear shoes. After burning the tops of my feet with scalding drops of water, I now wear shoes at all times when making jam.
2. Never use fruit that is over ripe or going bad - never "cut around the bad parts".
3. Try to use approximately 5-8% under ripe fruit - it has more pectin.
4. Sanitize tongs, ladle and funnel by boiling for 10 minutes (do this between each batch of jam as well).
5. Jar prep: Wash in hot soapy water. Boil for 10 minutes and transfer to a towel with (boiled) tongs. Dry upright and do not touch the rims.
6. Have a minimum of six clean kitchen towels at the ready - loop one through a belt loop on your pants - very helpful.
7. Limit the fruit included in each batch of jam to 2.5lbs or less.
8. When possible make more than one batch - once your set up you may as well crank it out!
9. Don't forget to wear shoes.

Eppie is getting married in September (YEA!) and asked me to make rhubarb jam for wedding favors. I processed four batches of jam with a total of 10.5 lbs of rhubarb. Unfortunately I'm a little short with 28 8oz jars, I'll make more another weekend.

Original Recipe: "in the making of classic American fruit jams, you use only 3/4 pound of sugar for each pound of ready-to-cook fruit."

Tabitha's Recipe:
Chop 1000 grams of rhubarb in 1/4 inch slices - place in the food processor for 3 5second pulses. You will end up with nicely shredded rhubarb. Alternately layer rhubarb with 800 grams of sugar. Set on the counter overnight. Place rhubarb into a preserving pan with 1 split vanilla bean and 2T lemon juice. Boil until thick and ready (see apricot jam recipe for doneness details). Ladle into jars and process in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Below are the results of my successful canning weekend. I've detailed the two apricot recipes as well as the rhubarb. The other jam is gooseberry. I found gooseberries at the St. Paul Farmers market this weekend and decided to try them out. They have an unusual taste - take the flavor and tartness of cranberries and add the earthiness of a fresh fig.

How to "Ladle into jars"
I have a very handy 1 cup ladle with a long metal neck. I boil this for 10 minutes along with the metal funnel. Use these to ladle the jam into sterilized jars. Moisten a clean kitchen towel with boiling water - use this to wipe the rims of each jar. Place the jar lids into a pan and cover with boiling water. When the rims have been whiped - dry a lid and place carefully on top - avoid touching the lid with your fingers - secure with a screw top.

Eighteenth-Century Apricot Jam; Weight for Weight of Fruit and Sugar

2009-07-19T16:41:00.006-05:00

The New Making of a Cook The Art, Techniques, and Science of Good Cooking by Madeleine Kamman
Cookbook 31, Recipe 1 (Total 64)

This cookbook has 1228 pages and is a more extensive serious approach to Julia Child's Art of French Cooking. In addition to providing recipes for preserves, this cookbook explains the possible proportions of fruit and sugar used in successful jam and the ph balance needed to yield the best gelation, thus giving you the tools to create your own successful jam/jelly recipe.

This past week I stopped by the Seward Co-op on my way home from work and noticed a great price on organic apricots. I purchased a dozen and brought them home to try. They were the best I've ever eaten, so I stopped by again on my way to work Friday morning and purchased a case.

Did I like it? Delicious! I've never added alcohol or nuts to jam before - the results are very happy.

Original Recipe:
Chop up a net weight of 2 lbs apricots, layer in a bowl with 2 lbs of sugar and set to macerate on the counter for 24 hours. Bring to a boil in a pan and add 3T of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp butter. Boil for 30 minutes until the jam is done. You can measure the doneness at 230 degrees - I find it easier to look and listen to it. If it sounds sticky when you draw your spoon through it and is moundable after setting on a cold plate for 3 minutes - it's done. During the last 15 minutes heat 1/2 cup of raw pistachios in the oven at 175 degrees. Add to the finished apricot jam along with 3 T cognac (the recipe direct to "add cognac as needed" and gave no hint as to how much you "might need"). Ladle into jars and process in a boiling bath for 10 minutes.

Alt Recipe:
Follow the directions above with the following exceptions. Omit the nuts and cognac. When the jam is 15 minutes away from being finished add 3 T dried lavender buds. When the jam is finished add 3T gin (aviator brand).

Each recipe yielded five 8oz jars.

Tofu Salad Sandwich Filling

2009-07-15T18:40:00.007-05:00

This Can't Be Tofu! 75 Recipes to Cook Something You Never Thought You Would - and Love Every Bite by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 30, Recipe 2, Total (63)

I wouldn't want to eat these tofu recipes everyday but they are valuable as a quick meal when you don't feel like cooking. I was eating my meal peacefully on my deck when the all little girl, all pink cheerleading squad arrived to practice next door...

Did I like it? As a once in a while sandwich - yes. It could use more crunchy things (celery, jicamca etc.).

Recipe: Drain a soft pkg of tofu and squeeze in a towel and force out as much water as you can. Crumble into a bowl and add: 1/4 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup diced scallion, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 3 T chopped dill, 1 tsp chopped lovage, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp mustard, 2 T capers, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp quince vinegar (thanks rachel!) - you can substitute white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Serve with arugula on bread.

Scrambled Tofu with Herbs and Cheese

2009-07-14T18:52:00.003-05:00

This Can't Be Tofu! 75 Recipes to Cook Something You Never Thought You Would - and Love Every Bite by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 30, Recipe 1, Total (62)

Deborah Madison - the best cookbook author. I bought this book for $1 at Half Price Books years ago.

Did I like it? It tasted excellent. Psychologically I'm not full. I want pizza and dessert.

Recipe
Drain 1 lg pkg tofu and wrap in a towel and press under a cutting board with a can on top. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine: 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and a couple grinds of pepper. In another bowl combine: 2 T chopped tarragon, 2 T chopped basil, 4 chopped scallions, 1/4 cup grated Windmere 4 year aged cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup Carr Vally Creama Kasa cheese (or substitute 1/2 cup whatever cheese you want). In a pan over med-hi heat up 1 T olive oil with 2 Tsp butter. Crumble tofu into the pan and add the turmeric mixture. Cook for 3.5 minutes. Add cheese mixture. Plate and sprinkle with smoked paprika.

Pretty Egg Salad Ring

2009-07-08T18:17:00.004-05:00

Mrs. Chard's Almanac Cookbook, Hollyhocks & Radishes A unique look at a little known corner of America, Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula, where the simple values of life...family, friends, the good earth and the good food it produces...still abide. by Bonnie Stewart Mickelson
Cookbook 29, Recipe 2 (Total 61)

Those of you who have spent more time with me than is good for your health know that I have a fascination with 50's jello molds, especially the "savory" ones that contain whole eggs and hot dogs. When I came across this recipe - I had to try and finally experience a chunky savory gelatin mold.

Did I like it? It tasted like the filling of an egg salad sandwich only not as good. I would add about a tablespoon of mustard to the recipe (although I'm not sure what that would do to the color) to add some more flavor and maybe chopped scallions. Ultimately I ended up mashing it up and eating it on a baguette.

Recipe: Stir 1 pgk of gelatin (1T) into 2 T cold water, add 1/4 cup hot water and stir to dissolve, set aside. In a bowl chop 6 hard boiled eggs with a pastry blender. Add: 3/4 cup mayo, 1/2 a chopped green pepper, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp mustard powder, and 1/4 tsp shallot salt. Add a couple drops of tabasco sauce to the gelatin mixture and add to the eggs. Pour into a mold and refrigerate for a minimum of three hours.

It called for a ring mold - I didn't have one so I used my terrine instead.

Old-Time Doughnuts

2009-07-04T16:43:00.006-05:00

Mrs. Chard's Almanac Cookbook, Hollyhocks & Radishes A unique look at a little known corner of America, Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula, where the simple values of life...family, friends, the good earth and the good food it produces...still abide. by Bonnie Stewart Mickelson
Cookbook 29, Recipe 1 (Total 60)

Is there better way to celebrate America than deep frying? I love doughnuts... I fry a batch about once or twice a year - usually timed to share with friends.

One of my favorite memories of Greatgrandma is of her her hugging an ice-cream bucket full of doughnuts. She made coffee immediately after I gave her the doughnuts, then visited while possessively hugging the bucket until the coffee was ready - then she shared. I don't think I made the best doughnuts back then but she seemed to love them.

Did I like it? I was pleasantly surprised at the lightness of these doughnuts. I don't usually make cake style doughnuts, opting instead for the lightness of yeast raised. The batter is so delicate that they turn out nicely textured doughnuts. A very nice product. I might add more nutmeg and maybe some cinnamon to the batter next time.

Recipe: With a wooden spoon beat 2.5 T soft butter with 1 cup of sugar. Beat in 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla. In a separate bowl combine, 3.5 cups flour, 1 tsp cream of tarter, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Add to the egg mixture alternately with a mixture of 1/2 cup half and half and 1/2 cup milk. Mix with a cutting motion - not a stirring motion. When the dry ingredients are fully Incorporated dump the mixture onto a very well floured countertop - this is a very wet, sticky dough. Pat into a circle 1/2 inch thick. Fry, drain on a towel, drop in a bag with cinnamon sugar, dust off and then serve to the neighbors.

Middle Eastern Red Lentil Soup with Yogurt and Lemon

2009-07-02T20:12:00.003-05:00

The Dean & Deluca Cookbook by David Rosengarten
Cookbook 28, Recipe 2, (Total 59)

This cookbook is an enigma to me. I can look through it for an hour and find recipes I'm interested in making, but have absolutely no desire to follow through. It's partially why I included this cookbook in my set cook from.

Did I like it? It was OK. Ultimately red lentils are better for dips than soups. This recipe was a little to close to pea soup - something I can't stand. I love du puy lentils (little french green ones).

Recipe:
In a large pot heat 1 T oil. Add 1 chopped onion, 1.5 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp mustard powder and 1/2 tsp ground ginger. Cook until onions are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of water, 1 1/3 cups red lentils, 3 strips of lemon peel, and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Serve with 1/2 cup yogurt mixed with juice of 1/2 a lemon.

OrzoSalad with Lemon, Mint, and Ricotta Salata

2009-06-28T20:37:00.003-05:00

The Dean & Deluca Cookbook by David Rosengarten
Cookbook 28, Recipe 1, (Total 58)

For some reason or another I decided to pick up a bunch of orzo at the co-op. While putting it away in the cupboard I realized that that I already had a bunch at home. So I looked through my cookbooks for a recipe with orzo.

I also enjoy cold salads with ricotta salata (a slightly salty, grainy, yet soft cheese). It's one of those rare cheeses that does not melt - funny that it's usually used in cold salads.

Did I like it? It was very pleasant. A classic Italian type salad - with a little too much olive oil - I would increase the recipes veggies by 100% and add more herbs.

Recipe:
Combine: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup chopped shallot, 2 T lemon juice, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, zest of 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Let this mixture sit while you cook 1 cup of orzo (boil for aprox 6 minutes). Drain orzo run under cold water and add to the olive oil. To this mixture add 1/2 cup each chopped orange pepper, cucumber and ricotta salata and a large handful of chopped mint.

Hot Juniper Sauce for Game Dishes (sos jalowcowy do dziczyny)

2009-06-25T20:35:00.004-05:00

Polish Heritage Cookery by Robert & Maria Strybel
Cookbook 27, Recipe 2 (Total 57)

We also chose to cook up our last lamb roast for Stephen's Dad on Fathers Day. We will be picking up the 1/2 a lamb we ordered from Mr. Bob Otis this Saturday from the Farmers Market.

Did I like it? Yes - it pared nicely with the lamb. We've had juniper berries for a while and this was the best use of them I've tasted yet. The recipe states "don't be surprised if one of you guests remarks 'this tastes like gin'".

Recipe: Saute 1 chopped onion and 1 grated carrot in 2 T bacon grease. Add 2 T flour and cook until browned. Add 1.5 cup stock and add 1 chopped tomato and 1 tsp ground juniper berries. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1/4 cup red wine, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, juice of 1/2 a lemon and 2 garlic cloves. Simmer 5 more minutes. Blend and serve with roasted lamb.

Millet Groats (kasza jaglana)

2009-06-25T19:55:00.003-05:00

Polish Heritage Cookery by Robert & Maria Strybel
Cookbook 27, Recipe 1 (Total 56)

We actually made two recipes from this cookbook for Stephen's Dad on Fathers Day. It's been a heck of a week and I haven't been able to post until now - a rare exception to the rule of posting on the same day.

Stephen wanted to cook a side that wasn't potatoes - we were looking for a buckwheat recipe but this worked with our plans and groceries better.

Normally we don't cook with bacon grease but we thought that our sister-in-law who is allergic to dairy might be coming over. Bacon grease was a better option than crisco and gave us an excuse to have BLT's for lunch!

Did I like it? Yes - it was a nice change from potatoes. Crunchy.

Recipe:
Boil 2 cups of water with 1.5 T bacon grease and 1/2 tsp salt. Slow pour in 1 cup of millet. Simmer until the water is almost fully absorbed. Pour into an 8 inch square pan and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. "serve drenched with gravy".

Cream of Barley Soup

2009-06-18T20:02:00.004-05:00

Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 26, Recipe 2, (Total 55)

I was expecting nice severe weather this evening - thunderstorms and hail. What better to enjoy it with than soup and bread? Unfortunately my severe weather has still not arrived. In the meantime I've caused my house to reach an uncomfortable degree.

Did I like it? It tastes like the sauce from strognaff (the best part) minus the beef. It was delish.

Recipe:
Cover 1/3 cup of hulled barley with water - set aside. Heat a pot with 2T olive oil and 1 T butter. Add 2 large chopped shallots and 1/4 tsp dried oregano and saute for about 5 minutes. Add 2 grated carrots, 2 minced cloves of garlic and 1 chopped leek, saute for 10 more minutes. Drain the barley and add to the pot with 6 cups of water and 1.5 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile simmer 1/3 cup barley in salted water for 30 minutes.

While barley in the soup pot is cooked - puree with 1 cup of sour cream. Return to pot - salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked barley. Top with pan fried sliced mushrooms and serve with fresh homemade bread.

A Spring Tonic

2009-06-15T19:23:00.005-05:00

Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 26, Recipe 1, (Total 54)

I found nettles for sale at Mississippi Market on Sunday. I've never tried them and they were cheep so picked up the two remaining packages. This recipe was the only one that called for nettles in my remaining 27 cookbooks.

Did i like it? It was surprisingly delicious. When I asked Stephen his opinion he replied "For how healthy it is, I give it an A+. I wouldn't crave it in the middle of the night but it's very tasty". I would agree.

The way the recipe is written - it leaves a lot of room for whatever you might have. I couldn't find sorrel so I used spinach and squeezed a whole lemon in the soup at the end. I didn't have carrot or radish tops but I had Kohlrabi tops so I used those.

Recipe:
In a bowl combine: 1 medium potato peeled and finely chopped, 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped, 1 yellow onion finely chopped, 5 cloves of garlic smashed and chopped, a nice handful of parsley chopped, and three pinches of Herbs de provence (I didn't have thyme so I had to substitute).

In another bowl combine: A large handful of watercress (at least 1/2 cup), 2 cups chopped swiss chard leaves, 2 cups blanched nettles chopped, 2 cups spinach chopped, about 1/4 cup kohlrabi leaves chopped, and a small handful of dill chopped.

Heat 1 T oil in a pan. Add the contents of the first bowl and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the greens and cook until they are thoroughly wilted. Add 1.5 tsp salt and 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes - until carrots and potatoes are done. Puree. Taste for salt and pepper. Squeeze the juice of a whole lemon into the soup. Serve with sage flowers from your garden (my chive blossoms are now dead).

Carmelized Onion Tart

2009-06-13T21:39:00.005-05:00

American Brasserie 180 Simple, robust Recipes Inspired by the Rustic Foods of France, Italy, and America by Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand with Julia Moskin
Cookbook 25, Recipe 2, Total 53

I needed to use up the extra pie crust from the Banana Cream Pie recipe - the cookbook suggested using this recipe and it seemed like a good plan.

Did I like it? No so much. It was a little bland and I wouldn't recommend the anchovy addition - they overpowered the dish. I cooked this for lunch - around dinner time I removed the anchovies, scraped the filling out of the crust and into a pan with more spices (paprika, oregano, shallot salt) and a handful more cheese - heated up that way it was much more flavorful.

Recipe:
In a pan heat 1 T olive oil, add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add 3T butter, when melted add 2 lbs of thinly sliced onions. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until caramelized. Add 3 T flour and cook for three more minutes. Set aside to rest.

In a bowl combine 3 eggs, 2/3 cup whole milk, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese and the cooled onions. Pour into pie shell and top with four anchovies. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

The Best Banana Cream Pie

2009-06-11T21:09:00.003-05:00

American Brasserie 180 Simple, robust Recipes Inspired by the Rustic Foods of France, Italy, and America by Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand with Julia Moskin
Cookbook 25, Recipe 1, Total 52

Stephen makes me a birthday cake every year. Since I've been thinking about this pie since January I requested this instead of a cake. This will probably be the only recipe I post that I didn't cook myself.

Did I like it? It tasted great. Unfortunately it didn't hold together very well. With 1/2 cup of cornstarch and 12 egg yolks - it should have stood on its own no matter what. We don't agree on why it didn't work out. Either way I was asleep at 10:45 last night due to an incredibly delicious birthday night out when he made the filling so I can hardly assign the blame:) We celebrated with Mom and Sarah this evening with the pie.

Recipe:
Crust: Mix together 4.5 cups flour, 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp sugar. Cut in 1.5 cups butter. Mix 1/2 cup cold water with 2 tsp red wine vinegar and add to flour to form a dough. Rest for 30 minutes. Divide in half. Blind bake one pie crust at 375 for 25 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Cool. Use remaining dough for something else.

Filling: Combine 4 cups whole milk, 1/4 tsp salt, and one vanilla bean in a pan. Bring to a boil and then steep. Whisk together 12 egg yolks with 1 1/3 cups sugar until light and frothy. Whisk in 1/2 cup cornstarch. Pour the egg yolks into the milk and bring to a boil whisking constantly. Boil for about 3 minutes. Stir in 3T butter and 3 sliced banana's. Pour until pie shell and refrigerate overnight. Top with whipped cream.

(For breakfast make an egg yolk scramble)

Crisp Peppery Kohlrabi-Carrot Slaw with Dill and Anise

2009-06-09T17:46:00.004-05:00

Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini The Essential Reference 500 Recipes & 275 Photographs, by Elizabeth Schneider
Cookbook 24, Recipe 2 (Total 51)

I bring lunch to work about 99% of the time - usually in a Kerr jar. The majority of the food I bring is homemade or leftovers. I occasionally go on an Amy's frozen food stint.

Did I like it? Yes. The pepper really comes through even though it's strained out. I was impressed by it's subtle bite.

Recipe: The night before: Cut 4 small kohlrabi's into small julienne slices. Place in a strainer and toss with 1.5 tsp salt. Let this sit for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes rinse and then dry.
Meanwhile, toast 1 tsp anise seed and 1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper. Add 1.5 T canola oil and 1 sliced garlic clove. Heat until garlic clove begins to color. Let steep.
Peel 2 carrots and then continue to use the peeler to create thin slices. Place carrots into a bowl with 1 T rice vinegar, kohlrabi and into this mixture strain the canola oil. Divide mixture between two Kerr jars. In the morning add 1 T chopped dill.

Mustard Green Gratin

2009-06-07T19:29:00.003-05:00

Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini The Essential Reference 500 Recipes & 275 Photographs, by Elizabeth Schneider
Cookbook 24, Recipe 1 (Total 50)

This cookbook is in my top 10 essential - if you like to purchase random vegetables from random farmers - this is the cookbook for you. I purchased mustard greens at $2 for a bunch at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I referenced this cookbook for recipes.

Did I like it? Yes. I'm not a huge fan of greens such as kale, chard, mustard greens etc., but I try to eat them since they are good for me and will help keep my optical migraines at bay. Stephen put it correctly when he said this is a luxurious way of eating vegetables.

Recipe:
This cookbook has a section for each vegetable called "Pros Propose". It's where they give you a recipe in short paragraph form and assume you can cook it from there. "Cook roasted garlic cloves in heavy cream until reduced by half. Add stemmed, blanched mustard greens and cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Transfer to baking dish and cover with shredded Gruyere and fresh bread crumbs. Brown under broiler."

So: Bake a bulb of garlic at 350 until soft. Add to 1 cup of cream and simmer on the stove for a good 20 minutes. Meanwhile blanch a bunch of mustard greens in a pan of water for about three minutes. Strain and roughly chop. Add greens to the cream with 1/2 tsp salt and some ground pepper, cook for about 20 minutes. Add 1 tsp flour to thicken. Pour into a suitable dish and spread with a mixture of 1/4 cup bread crumbs and 1/4 cup grated Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes.

Sweet Potato Waffles

2009-06-02T19:11:00.005-05:00

The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash
Cookbook 23, Recipe 2 (Total 49)

I feel no shame in eating breakfast food for dinner.

Did I like it? Yet again, this recipe produced a much lighter product than I was expecting. Since there was no added sugar the waffles turned out just savory enough to enjoy with maple syrup (Grade B!).

Recipe:
Bake one sweet potato (I used my personal favorite: red garnet). It should equal about 1 cup mashed. Add to the mashed sweet potatoes: 3 egg yolks, 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Then stir in 1.5 cups of flour which has been mixed with 2 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Beat three egg whites to soft peaks and fold into sweet potato mixture. Cook in a waffle iron.

Kohlrabi Dumplings

2009-05-31T19:23:00.005-05:00

The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash
Cookbook 23, Recipe 1 (Total 48)

We purchased Kohlrabi at the Farmers Market yesterday and I chose this recipe to use them up.

Did I like it? It was delicious! They were light and flavorful. However, they were a bit o' work...

Recipe:
Boil 12oz of Kohlrabi bulbs in water for 30 minutes, followed by .4 oz of the leaves for 5 minutes. Peel bulbs and place in a food processor with the leaves and 1/2 cup of ricotta - Puree. Place mixture in a pan over low heat.

In a pan bring to a boil 1 cup water with 6T butter. Take off the heat and beat in 3/4 cup flour. Place back on medium heat and cook, stiring constantly, for about five more minutes - until the mixture films the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and add 3 eggs - one at a time. Beat in Kohlrabi mixture along with 3/4 cup grated parmesan.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in Kohlrabi mixture with a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop. Simmer for 15 minutes. Plunge in to ice water and let sit in the water until they sink to the bottom. Remove from ice water and drain on a towel for 10 minutes.

Place dumplings in a buttered pan, brush with butter, sprinkle with parmesan and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Well... As I was typing this recipe in I realized that while I halved the kohlrabi mixture, I did not halve the pate a choux mixture - oops. It turned out great and I'm not sure it would have been as delicate if I had made it correctly.

Lettuce and Lovage Soup

2009-05-31T19:14:00.007-05:00

The Herbfarm Cookbook 200 Herb-Inspired Recipes, Plus a Complete Guide to Growing, Handling, and Cooking with Fresh Herbs by Jerry Traunfeld
Cookbook 22, Recipe 2 (Total 47)

This was a surprisingly light soup. I thought the soup would be a bit on the slimy side - it wasn't at all. I've wondered about lettuce soup for a long time. It's one of those recips that appears in old cookbooks as well.

Did I like it? Yes - It should have been accompanied by little cucumber sandwiches and a glass of champagne.

Recipe: In a large pot melt 4T butter, add 1 large chopped leek and 1 chopped garlic clove - cook until leeks are soft. Add 4 cups of homemade chicken stock and 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 head of lettuce (recipe calls for Romaine - I used a large head of bibb from the Farmers Market). Simmer for 5 minutes. Add 2T chopped lovage and puree. Add salt/pepper to taste. Garnish with chive blossoms.

Tarragon and Chive Ravioli

2009-05-30T19:14:00.004-05:00

The Herbfarm Cookbook 200 Herb-Inspired Recipes, Plus a Complete Guide to Growing, Handling, and Cooking with Fresh Herbs by Jerry Traunfeld
Cookbook 22, Recipe 1 (Total 46)

While in Seattle last Fall I would have loved to eat at The Herbfarm Restaurant. The cost was around $300 per person so we passed the opportunity by. I picked this recipe out in January and have been waiting for my chives to burst out of the ground.

Did I like it? On the scale of ravioli I've eaten in restaurants, it's up there at the top. On the scale of ravioli I've made at home it's solidly in the middle of the pack. It has a nice flavor but I just love squash ravioli with sage butter.

I did not make the pasta recipe from this cookbook. I always use the recipe from The Il Fornaio Pasta Book by Maurizio Mazzon. It works every time so I don't mess around with any others.

Recipe:
Pasta: On your counter place 1 1/4 cups flour. Create a big well in the middle - you should have circle of bare counter top about 4 inches across - surrounded by a levy of flour. Into this circle add 2 eggs, 1 tsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Using a fork beat the eggs together and gradually add flour from the edges until you have a cohesive dough. Knead until smooth and not sticky - about three minutes. Let set covered on your counter for 30 minutes. Divide in half. Roll out 1/2 to the second to last setting on your pasta roller.

Filling: Mix together: 1 cup ricotta, 1 egg, 3 T chopped tarragon, 1/4 cup chopped chives, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/4 cup grated parmesan.

Fill your ravioli's and boil for about three minutes.

Melt 3T butter and add 2T chopped parsley, 1T chopped chives and 1 T chopped tarragon. Pour over cooked ravioli and garnish with chive blossoms.

Rhubarb Crumble Cake

2009-05-25T15:11:00.004-05:00

Beyond Nose to Tail More Omnivorous Recipes for the Adventurous Cook, by Fergus Henderson & Justin Piers Gellatly
Cookbook 21, Recipe 2, (Total 45)

I have rhubarb to use up in the garden and I like cake. Since I gave you a scale for Christmas I decided not to translate the grams.

Did I like it? It was ok. The flavor was good but the cake a little tough. 1.5 hour baking time for an eight inch cake is just too long.

Recipe:
Rhubarb: Add 1.5 cups chopped rhubarb to the grated zest of one orange, 50g white sugar and 50g brown sugar. Set aside while you make the other two cake sections.

Crumble: Cut 95g butter into 125g flour, add 60g of brown sugar, 30g silvered almonds, 30g slivered ground almonds (crush slivered in a mortar), and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Cake: Beat 125g butter with 125g white sugar until fluffy. Add 3 eggs one at a time. Add 160g flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and a pinch of salt alternately with 50ml milk.

Assemble: In an 8x3 pan place the cake mixture on the bottom, cover with rhubarb mixture, followed by the crumble. Bake at 350 for 1.5 hours.

Confit Pig's Cheek and Dandelion

2009-05-23T22:26:00.005-05:00

Beyond Nose to Tail More Omnivorous Recipes for the Adventurous Cook, by Fergus Henderson & Justin Piers Gellatly
Cookbook 21, Recipe 1, (Total 44)

I've been meaning to cook from the nose to tail cookbooks for a while. Pa gave me both of them and I thought pigs cheeks, aka pork cutlets, sounded less scary than their feet.

Did I like it? Absolutely, it was delicious. The recipe itself is pretty basic but involves much more lenghtly cooking times than I'm used to.

Recipe:
First - render duck fat from previous weeks trimmed duck skin to equal about 1.5 cups. Take duck skin - chop it up with a little water - place on lowest heat for 1 hour. Strain and cool over night.

Second - find a farmer willing to let you purchase pig cheeks. Try to find one who will sell you a smaller quantity than 5 lbs! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the rest of mine...

Third - Completely cover 4 pig cheeks with duck fat and bake at 340 for 3 hours. Cool completely in fat over night (in my case for two days.) You want to make sure the cheeks are completely covered - I used my small ikea 5x5 pan.

Fourth - Remove pig cheeks from fat and place each on a piece of bread - cook at 350 for 1.5 hours. Also cover 12 peeled cloves of garlic and 12 small sections of shallots with duck fat and bake along side cheeks for the first 45 minutes. Move garlic and shallots to a mixing bowl.

Fifth - To the garlic and shallots add 1Tsp of capers, 1 bunch of chopped parsley, and one bunch of dandelion leaves from your (non-chem-lawn) yard.

Sixth - Make a vinaigrette with 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 150ml olive oil, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, a squeeze of lime (i didn't have a lemon) and a pinch of salt.

Seventh - When the pig cheese are crispy - chop the them and the bread into hunks and add to the greens mixture. Dress with about about a 1/2 cup vinaigrette.

Serve on the lawn.

Duck a la Mode

2009-05-12T19:13:00.005-05:00

The Successful Housekeeper Manual of Universal Application, Especially Adapted to the Every Day Wants of American Housewives; Embracing Several Thousand Thoroughly Tested and Approved Recipes, Care and Culture of Children, Birds and House Plans; Flower and Window Gardening etc,; With Many Valuable hints on Home Decoration by M.W. Wllsworth & F. B. Dickerson 1882
Cookbook 20, Recipe 2, (Total 43)

I chose two duck recipes in order to use up the duck I purchased at the farmers market.

Did I like it? Absolutely, it was delicious. I was surprised at how well the port fit this dish. The duck completely overpowers any sense of the ports sweetness. I'm now looking forward to a couple of days without meat. These two dishes were excellent and Sunday's was pretty good - three dinners in a row with meat and I'm ready for a week off.

(Soon I will have hot bread from the oven - I made bread today from yesterday's boiled potato water! YUM)

Original Recipe: Take a couple of ducks, divide them into quarters and lay them in a stewpan with a sprinkling of flour, pepper and salt. Put a large lump of butter divided into pieces at the bottom of the stewpan and fry the ducks until they are a nice light-brown color. Remove the frying-pan and put in half a pint of gravy and a glass of port; sprinkle more flour and add a bunch of sweet herbs, two or three shallots minced fine, an anchovy, and a little Cayenne when the ducks have stewed in the gravy till tender, put them on a dish, take out the herbs, clear off any fat, and serve with the sauce thrown over them.

My interpretation: Take half a duck and cut the wing and drumstick off. Split the remaining portion in half length wise (this enables you to keep the breast in one piece). Place duck pieces in a pan with 1T butter, add 2 large pinches of kosher salt, 2 small pinches of pepper and sprinkle 2T of flour over the meat. Turn heat to medium and cook until nice and brown. Remove from pan and drain fat into a small jar. Return meat to pan and add 1 cup of gravy (made from stock created from last nights leftover bones and the neck and giblets), 1 cup of stock, 1/3 cup port, 1 minced anchovy and 2 chopped shallots. Bring to a boil and add a large amount of parsley and thyme tied together. Simmer over medium low heat for 35-40 minutes until the breast meat reaches 160 degrees. Thicken sauce if needed and serve with mashed potatoes.

Fricasseed Duck

2009-05-11T20:45:00.008-05:00

The Successful Housekeeper Manual of Universal Application, Especially Adapted to the Every Day Wants of American Housewives; Embracing Several Thousand Thoroughly Tested and Approved Recipes, Care and Culture of Children, Birds and House Plans; Flower and Window Gardening etc,; With Many Valuable hints on Home Decoration by M.W. Wllsworth & F. B. Dickerson 1882

While I was employed by the Minnesota Historical Society I started reading through the entire cookbook collection there - I believe I made it through about 250 before I left. This was my favorite old cookbook. I wrote down the name but became convinced I would never find it for a reasonable price. I consistently found it for $75 - eventually I found it for $30 and snatched it up.

I found duck for sale at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. Unfortunately he had run out but promised to butcher us one if we came back on Sunday - which we did.

I will first type the recipe as it is in the book - followed by my interpretation. I decided to cut the duck in half and cook two separate recipes with it.

Did I like it? Yes - I would describe it as simple, homey and plain old good food.

Original Recipe: Most people think a duck must be roasted, but try this once instead: Cut a mallard or red duck into four quarters; chop an onion fine, and put all into a pot; cover with water, and add more as it boils away. Stir a little celery seed, or celery chopped up fine, three or four strips of salt pork, and when nearly done add a tablespoonful of Worcestershire sauce. Build a mound of mashed potatoes around your dish and carefully lay the contents of the fricassee in the center. Season with salt and pepper. This makes a juicy and Delicious dish.

My Interpretation: Cut a duck in half. Reserve one half for another recipe. Cut the remaining duck in half again. Place in a sauce pan with 1 chopped onion and cover with water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 25 minutes. Add 2 ribs of chopped celery, 1/4 tsp celery seed, and 2 strips of bacon chopped and two pinches of kosher salt. Lightly boil for 20 more minutes. Remove duck and strain the liquid in to a large bowl - skim off as much fat as you can. Return everything but the reserved fat back into the pan and add 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Meanwhile boil up as many potatoes as you would like. Mash and form into a mote* on a plate. Strain liquid. Place duck and strained material inside mote add liquid to taste. Serve.

*Stephen informed me "mote" is an incorrect term - it should be an "earthen levy".

Aromatic Beef Broth Noodles (Bun Pho)

2009-05-10T20:29:00.006-05:00

The Noodle Shop Cookbook 150 Favorite Noodle Dishes from Seven Asian Cuisines, by Jacki Passmore

Cookbook 19, Recipe 2 (Total 41)

I wanted to use up the final batch of beef bones we purchased last fall. This cookbook has two beef stock recipes - one "aromatic" and one "good". I chose to add some elements from the aromatic to the good.

Did I like it? Yes - it was a very simple soup after eating too many scones today.

Recipe:
Stock:
Bring to a boil: 3 lbs beef bones, 6 green tops of scallions, 2 inches of peeled ginger, 1 tsp peppercorns, 1/2 orange peel, 2 star anise, 2 inch piece of cinnamon. Skim and reduce heat to a very low simmer for 3.5 hours - strain. Refrigerate. Discard fat.

Heat stock to a boil and add 3 T fish sauce (Nuoc Mam).

Boil Rice Vermicelli for 3 minutes - divide between two bowls.

Heat a wok on high heat with 1 T oil. Add very thinly sliced 6 oz sirloin and cook for about 1 minute. Remove to a bowl and cook 1 thinly sliced onion in wok.

Top noodles with beef and onion, add broth.

Serve with mint and sliced scallions.

Teriyaki Soba

2009-05-05T20:06:00.003-05:00

The Noodle Shop Cookbook 150 Favorite Noodle Dishes from Seven Asian Cuisines, by Jacki Passmore

We purchased this cookbook on vacation in Vancouver quite a few years ago.

Did I like it? It was OK. A little too salty for my taste. That said, I was looking for something really yummy - I didn't have such a great day - I should have known that anything with soy sauce wouldn't really have fit the bill tonight.

Recipe
Cook 6 oz soba - Add soba to boiling water, bring back to a boil and then add 1 cup of cold water, return to a boil again and then simmer for aprox 2 minutes, cook until just tender. Drain and set aside in the colander.

Cut 1/2 a chicken breast into matchstick pieces, set aside. Cut 6 scallions into 2 in pieces, set aside. Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2.5 T sake, 1.5 tsp mirin and 1 T sugar, set aside.

Heat 1 T oil in a pan, add chicken and cook until done, set aside. Add scallions to the pan and cook for one minute. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook until scallions are tender and the sauce has reduced a little. Add the chicken.

Pour boiling water over the noodles in the strainer - divide between to plates and top with the sauce. Serve with Shichimi (japanese pepper condiment)

An Ancient Indian Drink with Ginger and Cardamom

2009-04-30T20:22:00.003-05:00

World Vegetarian, more than 650 meatless recipes from around the globe, by Madhur Jaffrey
Cookbook 18, Recipe 2, (Total 39)

I made this recipe years and years ago after checking this book out of the library. Unfortunately I couldn't remember which cookbook held the recipe. It took me 3 years to find it again.

Did I like it? Absolutely! It's a great dessert beverage with out alcohol or caffeine.

Recipe
In a pot combine: 4 cups water, 2 inch piece of peeled and chopped ginger root, 6 T dark brown sugar, 12 lightly crushed green cardamom pods. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 20-25 minutes tasting for desired potency.

Black-Eyed Peas with Trinidadian Seasonings

2009-04-30T20:05:00.007-05:00

World Vegetarian, more than 650 meatless recipes from around the globe, by Madhur Jaffrey
Cookbook 18, Recipe 1, (Total 38)

Madhur Jaffrey can always be counted on for excellent cookbooks.

Did I like it? Yes. More importantly I didn't miss the chicken or bacon that Stephen likes to cook black eyed peas with. This makes plenty of leftovers for work lunches.

Recipe
Soak 1.5 cups dried black-eyed peas at least 8 hours. Drain, rinse, drain.

In a large pot heat 3 T oil. Saute 2 finely chopped scallions, 1 small diced celery stalk, 1 small diced carrot, 1/2 small diced green pepper until they begin to turn brown. Add 4.5 cups water, soaked beans, 1.5 tsp chopped thyme, 1 Tsp paprika (Hungarian half-sharp from Penzeys), 1/4 tsp red pepper, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp mustard powder. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Add 2 tsp kosher salt and simmer 20 more minutes.

Chocolate Coconut Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting (vegan)

2009-04-22T20:32:00.006-05:00

The Voluptuous Vegan, by Myra Kornfeld
Cookbook 17, Recipe 2, (Total 37)

Hands down - this is the best vegan cookbook I have ever had the pleasure of cooking and baking from.

Did I like it? In the realm of cakes it was pretty good, in the realm of vegan cakes it was most excellent. I always find vegan cakes to have a slightly gummy texture - that texture is very minimal in this recipe.

As I was baking this evening it dawned on me how expensive and calorie laden this recipe is. The cake contains 2160 calories just from maple syrup (3 cups at 90calories per T), let alone a cup of coconut milk 400, 2 cups of flour 800, 1 cup of cocoa powder 320, 1 cup of chocolate chips 640, etc...

Recipe:
For the cake: Combine 2 cups of flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda together and set aside. In a pan heat together 1 cup of coconut milk with 1/2 cup cocoa powder until mixture begins to bubble, pour into a bowl. Add to the cocoa mixture: 1.5 cups maple syrup, 6 T canola oil, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 2.5 tsp coconut flavoring, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt. Pour liquid mixture into the dry - whisk quickly and Bake in two 8 inch pans at 350 for 25 minutes.

For a truly bizarre experience make the frosting: In a saucepan combine 1&1/4 cups water with 4T agar flakes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir often or the agar will stick to the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1.5 cups maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile combine 1/4 cup soy milk with 2 T arrowroot powder. When the cocoa mixture has come to a boil add soy milk mixture. Cook until barely simmering and thick. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl with 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Chill until firm. I mean firm - look at the picture. I dumped the mixture from my bowl into the food processor - you can see it's a large gelatinous mass.
Strange isn't it? Now whip this up in the food processor for 3 minutes and it will be light and fluffy.

Assemble your cake and coat with unsweetened dried coconut.

Curried Chickpea Tart with Fennel-Cauliflower Sauce

2009-04-20T19:50:00.004-05:00

The Voluptuous Vegan, by Myra Kornfeld
Cookbook 17, Recipe 1, (Total 36)

I checked this book out of the St. Paul Public Library a number of years ago. I made the Gingerbread with Blood Orange Sauce (Did I mention that I love spice cakes). It was so fantastic that I also tried the Carrot Cake with Coconut-Cardamom Sauce. Keep in mind this is a vegan cookbook - no dairy. This is the only cookbook I recommend for vegan cakes.

I chose the chickpea tart because I've never made a main dish from this cookbook. They tend to be very involved recipes. It took two hours from the time I arrived home to have dinner on the table - not something I want to do everyday.

Did I like it. Absolutely. Stephen said "It's just fantastic!". The flavors are delicious, the texture is creamy and is just overall "fantastic"!

Recipe:
Chickpea Tart: Combine in a blender - 3.5 cups of water with 1.5 cups of chickpea (garbanzo) flour and 3 T canola oil. Pour into a large pot and add another 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tsp salt. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, all the while maintaining a blurby bubbles - see picture below. Cook until it's thick enough to set up in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, saute 1 large onion in 1 T oil until just beginning to brown, add 1/3 cup water and 1 T Penzeys sweet curry powder. Cook until water has evaporated. Add to chickpea batter and pour into a 9 inch tart pan. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to two days.

Fennel-Cauliflower Sauce: Heat 4 tsp canola oil in a pot and add 2 T chickpea flour - cook until nice and browned - set aside.

Toast 2 tsp fennel seeds in a pan and then grind to a powder.

Heat 1 T oil, add 1 large minced onion and 1 medium thinly sliced bulb of fennel (discarding hard inner core) - saute until onions start to brown. Add ground fennel seeds and saute one more minute. Add 4 C water, 2 cups cauliflower florets and salt - bring to a boil. Remove 1/2 cup of liquid and whisk into the reserved chickpea/oil mixture - Add mixture into the pan and simmer, partially covered approximately 20 minutes - until the cauliflower is soft. Blend. Pour back into pan and add 1 T lemon juice and 1 T ginger juice and a nice pinch of cayenne.

While the sauce is in the simmering stage, remove the tart from the refrigerator and cut into 6 wedges. Place on a cookie sheet - brush with oil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes - until its heated through and has a crust. Serve with sauce.

Meal in a Muffin Tin

2009-04-18T20:24:00.005-05:00

Ladies' Home Journal Adventures in Cooking, by the Editors of Ladies' Home Journal (1968)
Cookbook 16, Recipe 2 (Total 35)

How could I resist a complete meal in a muffin tin? I did replace the 1/3 cup biscuit mix with my own equivalent.

Did I like it? Well... The meat loaf was very dense and the potato a little undercooked. The up-side down cake should have had sugar sprinkled on top. Overall, the amusement of it was worth the less than stellar taste - a once in a lifetime experience.

Recipe:
Meatloaf: Combine 1/2 lb ground lamb, 1 T catsup, 2 T bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp salt and herbs of choice. Divide between two muffin cups.

Potato: Divide a large potato in two. Poke all over with a fork and place each half in a muffin cup.

Up-side down cake: Place 3 canned apricot half's each in two muffin cups. Place 1 tsp brown sugar on top of each along with a 1 tsp lemon juice. In a bowl combine 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar. With a fork smooch in 2 tsp butter. Add 3 T milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Place over apricot halves.

Bake in a 350 oven for 40 minutes.

Hot Cross Buns

2009-04-18T20:09:00.004-05:00

Ladies' Home Journal Adventures in Cooking, by the Editors of Ladies' Home Journal (1968)
Cookbook 16, Recipe 1 (Total 34)

I misplaced my camera so it's taken me a while to post this recipe.

When I called Mom the Saturday evening to discuss Easter breakfast - she was just about purchase hot cross buns at cub foods - sacrilege! I started these buns at 7:00pm and finished after 11:00pm. It was worth it.

Did I like it? Yes, they were excellent. I used to hate these buns - I've grown into enjoying them.

Recipe:
Scald 3/4 cup milk and add 1 T sugar. Cool until warm. Proof 2.5 tsp yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp sugar. Combine the two mixtures with 1.5 cups flour. Cover and let rise about 30 hour - until bubbly.

To the proofed mixture add 1/4 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 room temp egg, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 cup currants. Beat in enough flour to make a good dough. Let rise until doubled.

Divide dough into 16 buns. Place 2 inches apart on two cookie sheets. Let rise until double about 45 minutes.

Slash an X into each bun. Beat 1 white with 1 tsp water. Brush over the buns and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Buckwheat Pancakes

2009-04-08T19:41:00.003-05:00

Savoring The Seasons Of The Northern Heartland 200 Recipes Blending Bold, New Flavors With The Traditional Foods Of The Upper Midwest, by Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson
Cookbook 15, Recipe 2 (Total 33)

It's funny - I've never made buckwheat pancakes myself - while I've ordered them often over the past five years at our local breakfast restaurant. They've taken them off the menu and now I've discovered that mine are better.

Did I like it? Yum. I ate them with maple syrup for supper. I'll try some sort of a sandwich tomorrow for lunch with the leftover.

Recipe:
Whisk together: 1/2 cup buckwheat flour, 3/4 cup white flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 T sugar.

In another bowl combine: 2 cups buttermilk, 1 egg, 2 T canola oil.

Quickly whisk the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients - this should take more than 3 seconds to full incorporate the two mixtures. Cook.

Spice Cake with Cardamom-Coffee Icing

2009-04-07T20:24:00.004-05:00

Savoring The Seasons Of The Northern Heartland 200 Recipes Blending Bold, New Flavors With The Traditional Foods Of The Upper Midwest, by Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson
Cookbook 15, Recipe 1 (Total 32)

After spilling my entire cup coffee in the parking lot in the morning, tipping another entire cup of tea all over my desk in the afternoon, and breaking my last double walled cup in a spectacular crash resulting in broken glass all over the kitchen and living room floors in the evening - I was ready for a great piece of cake. I chose this recipe a long time ago because there is a picture of really cute 72 year old farmer man sifting flour for this recipe - preparing to enter it into the State Fair competition.

Did I like it? I love spice cakes and this one was no exception. Perfect with a cup of coffee or even red wine. It's unusual to find spice cake with black pepper. While I seriously enjoyed the cake - the frosting was un-savable. I could never get the coffee to cohere with the butter. Just don't try fake butter cream frosting - take the time to make an Italian meringue base - says I.

Recipe:
Beat together 1/2 cup of butter with 1 1/2 cups white sugar (I didn't have 1/2 cup b.sugar so I used an extra 1/2 cup of white) until fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs (one at a time) and 1 tsp vanilla.

Mix together 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp cardamom.

Alternately add the dry ingredients to the butter with 1 1/4 cups buttermilk.

Divide between two 8 inch greased and floured pans and cook at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Lentil and Onion Croquettes

2009-04-01T18:08:00.005-05:00

The Vegetarian Table: America by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 14 Recipe 2 (Total 31)

I made this yesterday but became too involved in preparing taxes in the evening to post it. As we get older we need to be on the alert - we might turn into our parents. Two croquette recipes in 2 months...I might be turning into my mother...

Did I like it? The were excellent and surprisingly creamy for not being a cream/milk sauce based croquette. Four was enough to sit like a lead balloon in my stomach - I recommend one or two as an appetizer to a light supper or lunch.

Recipe:
Heat 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil in a pan and add one chopped onion. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until caramelized - about 10 more minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in another pot place 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot and celery along with 1/2 cup of green lentils. Add water to cover by 2 inches, bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and then puree slightly, leaving some texture.

Add lentil mixture and onion together with 1/2 cup bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste. Then add 1/2 a beaten egg. Place in refrigerator to cool completely.

After cool - form into 8 - 3 inch by 1 inch logs and roll in bread crumbs to coat.

Add 1/8 inch oil to a pan and heat until a bread crumb browns quickly. Fry for 5 minutes or until a dark brown.

Dutch Cheese Sandwich Filling

2009-03-29T19:47:00.003-05:00

The Vegetarian Table: America by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 14 Recipe 1 (Total 30)

Yep - another Debrah Madison cookbook. I found this cookbook in the $1 section of Half Price Books. It was a thrilling discovery because I wasn't aware of its existence.

I've been thinking about sandwiches since visiting Rachel last weekend and hearing her talk about eating them. I chose this recipe - quick and easy!

Did I like it? It was much tangier than I was expecting and therefore more enjoyable. It is a fun addition to a spread repretaur.

Recipe: In a bowl combine 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 cup chopped watercress (we bought a variety called Upland Cress). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Leg of Lamb with Mint & Garlic

2009-03-28T14:03:00.004-05:00

Great Women Chefs Marvelous Meals & Innovative Recipes from the Stars of American Cuisine, by Julie Stillman
Cookbook 13, Recipe 2 (Total 29)

I was interested in trying something new with a lamb roast - I usually prepare it with a honey mustard rub. I'm not usually into mixing meats, the paprika and bacon rub was definitely something I had not tried.

This recipe is by Joyce Goldstein

Did I like it? Yes - it made absolutely delicious leftover sandwiches.

Recipe: Blend or pound together 3/4 cup mint, 3 cloves garlic, 2 thick slices of natural unsmoked bacon, 1 T paprika, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and 2 T red wine vinegar. Rub on a 2-3 lb bone in lamb roast and refrigerate overnight. Bring the roast to room temperature. Brush with a mixture of 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 T red wine vinegar. Roast at 400 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting every 25-30 minutes.

Matzoh Brei with Wild Mushrooms

2009-03-24T18:52:00.003-05:00

Great Women Chefs Marvelous Meals & Innovative Recipes from the Stars of American Cuisine, by Julie Stillman
Cookbook 13, Recipe 1 (Total 28)

On Sunday I took a lamb leg roast out of the oven to cook tomorrow and use for sandwich materials this week. I decided to pick a cookbook that would use both a leg of lamb as well as the mushrooms we purchased at the Madison Farmers Market this weekend. This cookbook was written in 1996 and is a compilation of recipes from 30 top women chefs in the United States.

This recipe is from Anne Rosenzweig

Did I like it? Scrambled eggs with semi-soggy crackers... It was interesting at first and then way to heavy. I think if the butter was cut in 1/2 it would be easier to eat. I didn't even finish half of my serving. Stephen liked it.

How does one cook scrambled eggs crispy? I've never been able to acquire that happy talent.

Recipe: Melt 4 T of butter in a pan and slowly caramelize 1.5 chopped onion. Add 3 cups sliced mushrooms. Saute and place in a bowl. Meanwhile, mix 4 eggs and 1/4 cup plus 2 T milk together with salt and pepper. Soak 4.5 sheets of matzoh in water for 30 seconds, then crush into the egg mixture. Melt 3 T butter in the saucepan, add the egg and mushroom mixture. Cook until preferred doneness. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped parsley.

Tunisian Brik

2009-03-23T19:32:00.003-05:00

Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert
Cookbook 12, Recipe 2 (Total 27)

Rachel chose this recipe as she'd be interested in trying it for a while. I thought it sounded intereting and fun to try.

Did we like it? Absolutely no. Stephen said he'd never try one again. Rachel said neeich. After the first batch of frying each of us dumped the raw egg (inside the cooked parcels pictured above) into a cup and then had no stomach to try again.

To be fair the fourth try yielded a completely cooked egg. I think we were all too grossed out at that point to try.

What is a Tunisian Brik? It's an egg roll/spring roll wrap filled with onion, canned tuna, parsley, capers and 1 raw egg. It's then deep fried preferably until the egg is cooked.

Since this was a complete flop I will not include the recipe.

Orange and Black Olive Salad

2009-03-23T19:19:00.004-05:00

Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert
Cookbook 12, Recipe 1 (Total 26)

Last week I was sick the entire week. I didn't get off the couch in the evening and ate mostly ramen. Fortunately my cold cleared well enough by Friday to visit Rachel as we planned. We decided to cook on Saturday evening and chose this cookbook because she has it as well as I and then I wouldn't be stuck with 2 cookbooks this week.

Rachel pointed out that although the recipe calls for canned black olives, Paula Wolfert would probably call for something different now. The cookbook was published in 1973 and olive availability now versus 35 years ago is a bit different.

Did I like it? Surprisingly yes. I really dislike olives and rarely ever eat them. Both Rachel and Stephen love olives so it seemed like a good choice to make. The oranges combine with the olives to form a great marinade.

Recipe:
In a bowl place, three supremed valencia oranges, 1 cup chopped up kalamata and salt curred Moroccan olives, 2 T olive oil, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of cumin, and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Serve.

Carrot Salad with Currants and Almonds

2009-03-15T20:23:00.004-05:00

Vegetable Love Vegetables delicious, alone or with pasta, seafood, poultry, meat and more by Barbara Kafka
Cookbook 11, Recipe 2, (Total 25)

I purchased a 2 lb bag of carrots on Wednesday to make carrot sticks for a vegetable platter this weekend. I'm not a big chomp on raw carrot fan and didn't want to waste the other 1.5 lbs so I chose a carrot recipe.

Did I like it? It was nicely balanced with tangy and sweet flavors. It's more a of a sidekick than a main dish, tonight it played sidekick to a BLT. We both thought it should have poppy seeds added.

Recipe:
Combine 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Pour over 1/2 cup currants and leave for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, grate 1 lb carrots (using that handy scale I bought you for Christmas) and place in a bowl with a handful of chopped almonds. Drain the currants (keeping the liquid) and add to carrot mixture. To the drained liquid add 1/2 cup yogurt (plain) and 1 T honey. Pour over carrots, mix and serve.

Recently I discovered I often use the word currant instead of current... Now that I pay attention to this, I'm embarrassed how many times I have to stop and think - OK not the dried fruit...

Cauliflower Cheddar Gratin

2009-03-09T20:16:00.003-05:00

Vegetable Love Vegetables delicious, alone or with pasta, seafood, poultry, meat and more by Barbara Kafka
Cookbook 11, Recipe 1, (Total 24)

Or as pa likes to call her "Barbara aka 500 Kafka". She generally cooks food a much higher temperature than your standard cookbook authors. This cookbook is organized by vegetable which is handy. I picked up cauliflower on Saturday. Sunday I decided I wanted to make this recipe - Yep I've made it before. I didn't set any rules against making something I already like.

Did I like it? Yep! I think cheddar sauce is much better on Cauliflower than broccoli. I've only recently begun to enjoy cauliflower and I think this is my favorite Cauliflower dish.

Recipe:
Steam enough cauliflower until fork tender to fill your baking dish (I used an 8x8 and therefore the following sauce is for an 8x8). Melt 2 T butter in a sauce pan and add 1/4 cup flour, cook for about 5 minutes or until it starts to break apart again and is a toasty brown. Mix together 1 & 1/4 cups milk, 1/3 cup cream, 1/8 tsp cayenne and 2 tsp salt. Gradually add to the butter/flour mixture with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until thick. Add 1 cup of grated cheese - a mixture of cheddar and Parmesan is my favorite. Pour sauce over cauliflower in the baking dish. Bake at 400 (not 500 this time) for 40 minutes.

Star Anise-Glazed Tempeh with stir-fried peppers

2009-03-08T14:01:00.004-05:00

Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 10, Recipe 2 (Total 23)

It's been an extremely busy week. I actually made this on Wednesday and am finally posting it on Sunday. I chose this recipe because I would like to learn how to cook with Tempeh. I'm comfortable with setain but not Tempeh.

Did I like it? It was a good stir fry. The cabbage doesn't really cook through, it stays crunchy. I think I would rather have tofu or setain. This was a night that I normally would have thrown something frozen in the oven or cooked ramen. I knew my other nights were going to be busy so I cooked anyway. After cleaning on Thursday Stephen happened to mention that "cabbage really sticks" - there wasn't many areas of the kitchen that didn't end up with cabbage.

Recipe:
Place in a saucepan and bring to a boil: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 mirin, 2 T brown sugar, 1 T maple syrup, 1 3inch piece of cinnamon and 2 star anise. Boil for 4-5 minutes, turn off the heat and add 1 pkg tempeh cut into desired size. Let soak four minutes on each side.

Heat a wok and add 2 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil, add tempeh and cook until browned, add a few T of the marinade and cook until it's evaporated and glazed the tempeh. Wipe out the wok and add 2 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil. Add 1 chopped garlic clove, 1 T chopped ginger and 6 chopped scallions - cook 1 minute. Add 1 small shredded red cabbage, 1 green pepper sliced, 1 yellow pepper sliced, salt and pepper, cook until softened - about 10 minutes. Add the remaining marinade and cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Pasta and Chickpeas with plenty of parsley and garlic

2009-03-02T19:45:00.006-06:00

Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 10, Recipe 1 (total 22)

It doesn't get better than Deborah Madison. I love her cookbooks. This book was given to me by my in-laws David & Rita for Christmas this year.

Did I like it? It was hearty and good. I would have really enjoyed it with young garlic. My garlic is a little old and quite harsh. The recipe made me think of a deconstructed parsley pesto. I deviated from the directions by cooking the garlic - I wasn't in the mood for 3 cloves of raw winter garlic.

Recipe:
While bringing water to a boil for pasta. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute 1 small chopped onion. Add 1 can of chickpeas and heat for 3 minutes, add 3 chopped cloves of garlic along, with 1/2 tsp chili paste and cook for 5 minutes. Chop up 1 large bunch of parsley and a handful of sage leaves, add 1/3 of this mixture to the pan along with salt and pepper to taste. Cook this mixture, adding the liquid from the canned chickpeas as appropriate. Cook 1/4 lb pasta, drain, add to pan with the remaining parsley/sage. Serve with grated parmesan.