Culinary Alchemy

Cutting the Mustard - Vermouth Mustard

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:43:00 +0000

Last year.... Wow, it still seems weird to say "Last Year" when it was only a couple weeks or so ago.

Anyway, last year I had toyed with the idea of making small jars of homemade mustard to pass around as little gifts for various persons, thus spreading Christmas cheer. Then I realized the extent of the projects already filling my plate and decided that, as easy as mustard is to make, it would probably be that "final straw" that broke the proverbial camel's back and pushed me over the edge into insanity. LOL

So now that the holidays are over. Aside from the 8 birthdays occurring this month, including my own, everything has finally slowed down a little. Thus I must, must, must revisit the mustard. After all, is there any single condiment that can go from Hot dog to Haute cuisine and still have time to dress a salad? I think not... Mayo? Boring. Ketchup? I shudder to think.

Mustard is a wonder condiment. Sporty, Rustic, Refined, Sweet, Sour, Bitter, Spicy Hot, or Mild - Mustard is all these things and more. Though which qualities shine through greatly depends on HOW the mustard is prepared.

Of the 3 varieties of mustard seeds, being Black, Brown and "White" or "Yellow, the Black seeds are the most potent and the smallest, while the White, or Yellow, seeds are the mildest and the largest. Most great mustards use a mixture of the 3 to obtain a more varied flavor profile.

Once a mustard seed is ground, it begins a chemical reaction, similar to an onion or garlic, that increases it's heat. One of the ways to stop this reaction is to use Hot liquids, another is to add an acid, which seems to stop the reaction. Thus assuring you of a more mild mustard.

This particular mustard is sort of inspired by Dijon which contains white wine and verjuice. (the grape juice prior to inoculation with the yeast that turns it into wine.) Since I don't have any of this acidic verjuice just lying around my kitchen, I decided to use Vermouth. After all they both start with "VER", so it should be OK, right? I kind of killed 2 birds with one stone as well, since Vermouth is doubling as the wine. Awesome. Yes, I am the king of shaky logic, but hey, it worked. I was extremely pleased with the spicy hot outcome. This mustard is a little hotter than the "Spicy Brown" mustards such as Gulden's and has a sort of Horseradish quality to it.

Once word of warning.... And something I forgot until it was too late. Making mustard releases A LOT of vapors into the air, so suggest making it in the summer when you can open the windows and ventilate your home fairly well. When it's 29 degrees outside and your abode is well sealed against the winter elements, the fumes build up fast. And it's not only from the mustard seeds, but from the simmering vinegar as well. LOL

Spicy Vermouth Mustard

2 oz (60 g) Brown Mustard Seeds
1 cup Dry Vermouth
1 cup Shallot
1 TB Honey
1 Clove bud
1 tsp Black Peppercorns
1 1/2 cups White Wine Vinegar
2 oz (60 g)Yellow (white) Mustard Powder
2 tsp Kosher Salt

Place the Brown Mustard Seeds in a small bowl.

Douse them with 1 cup the Vermouth.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit over night (at least 8 hour, but preferably 12 and up to 24) at room temperature.

While the the Seeds are soaking, go ahead and combine Shallot, Honey, Clove, Peppercorns, and White Wine Vinegar in a small saucepan.

Bring to a simmer over medium flame, and continue simmering for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to 1 1/4 cups.

Pour into a clean container, cover and chill overnight in the refrigerator. (you need this to be cold)
After the Brown Mustard seeds are done soaking, place them in the blender (cause it works better than a food processor)

and blend until smooth. (about 10 minutes)

Press the paste through a fine mesh strainer to remove the thin shells

(this produces a finer textured mustard, skip this step if you prefer coarse rustic mustard)

Place the Yellow Mustard Powder in a small bowl.

Remove the cold shallot infused liquid from the refrigerator and strain out the shallot and spices.

Add the Liquid to the Yellow Mustard Powder and whisk until smooth.

Combine the Black/Brown Mustard paste with the Yellow mustard paste, stirring until well combined.

Pour back into the pan and whisk over medium heat until it thickens slightly.

(Kind of like a bechamel sauce)

Remove from the heat and season with Kosher salt.

Pour the hot mustard into your awaiting, sterilized containers.

Let the containers sit at room temperature for 5-7 days to allow it to mellow and age. (this removes some of the bitter back-bite)

Then refrigerate.

Voile! Mustard...

For another delicious Mustard Recipe, check out my friend Heather's Finnish Mustard post at Girlichef.

If you'll excuse me now, I have a very important date with a soft pretzel. :)

Oh yeah! That's the stuff!

Mangia!!

The Savage Chocolate Beast - Brownie Pudding Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Every once in a while, I am gripped by the Chocolate Beast. There is no calming this terrifying manifestation of hunger. That is, except for Mom's Brownie Pudding Cake.

It's quite the enigma, really. From the top, it looks like a dense brownie-esque type chocolate cake, yet hidden underneath the deceptively cakey looking surface, is a raging sea of molten chocolate pudding. OMG I love this thing! And while I love Molten Chocolate cakes, I will always have a soft spot for the Pudding cake of my childhood. Richly chocolatey, decadently moist and literally dripping with warm chocolate pudding sauce... Yep, the ONLY thing that can stop the Chocolate Beast dead in it's tracks.

The recipe sounds a little odd, but trust me; as strange as it looks, it will be awesome in the end.

Brownie Pudding Cake

1 cup AP Flour
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
6 TB natural Cocoa Powder (not Alkalized); divided
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Whole Milk
2 TB Light Olive Oil
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 cups Water

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) degrees and butter a 8 x 8 x 2 baking dish.
Combine Flour, Granulated Sugar, 3 TB Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder, and Kosher Salt in a bowl, whisking to combine.

Add Milk, Olive Oil and Vanilla extract, then stir with a spatula until a smooth batter forms.

Pour this into your prepared baking dish.

In another small bowl place Brown Sugar and the remaining 3 TB Cocoa Powder; mix with a fork until the cocoa is completely dispersed through the Brown Sugar.

Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the cake batter in an even layer.

You can stop here and refrigerate this part for up to 24 hours, but bring it back to room temperature before continuing.
When ready to bake, gently pour the 2 cups of water over the crumb mixture. (the brown sugar, cocoa and water combine to form the pudding ---- Don't ask me how it exchanges places with the cake batter underneath... It's part of the magic)

Carefully move the pan to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before serving... You want to serve it warm, but not too warm.
Using a spoon, cut chunks of the brownie cake and move them to a dish, but don't forget to spoon some of the delicious pudding over the top.

Serve with Ice Cream or Whipped Cream... Your choice...

Ah! At last.... the Chocolate Beast has been satiated!

Mangia!!
~~

It's Always Beddar With Cheddar - Cheddar Biscuits

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:12:00 +0000

I love biscuits... Especially in the winter. They just seem to be the kind of food that hugs you while your eating it. Whether simple Baking Powder biscuits or Buttermilk Biscuits, Spelt or Whole Wheat they are little fluffy bundles of comfort wrapped in a towel at the table. Which is another thing I love about fresh biscuits. When they are swaddled beneath layers of cloth to stay warm, and you have to peel back the layers to reach the heavenly disks of warm fluffy goodness, it's almost like opening a Christmas present. LOVE it!

Biscuits are, in and of themselves, VERY similar to pie crust... In fact, the only real difference is the leavening; be it Baking Powder or Baking Soda. Thus the same rules apply... "ALL THINGS MUST BE COLD"! This means, cold flour, cold butter, and cold milk... or buttermilk. Follow the same steps as you would making pie crust... Work the butter into the flour, add milk (liquid) and stir until a dough forms... Be careful not to overwork the dough, or the biscuits will be tough. Roll, cut and bake as fast as you can, and you will be rewarded of light fluffy and oh so delicious biscuits.

Cheddar is my favorite addition to baking powder biscuits. I like to sneak a little Cayenne into them. Not much, but just enough to lend some subtle heat and kind of warm you from the inside out. ;)

Cheddar Biscuits

9 oz (256 g) (2 cups) AP Flour
1 TB Baking Powder
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper, ground
2 oz (56 g) (4 TB) Unsalted Butter, sliced thin
4 oz (113 g) (1 cup) Sharp Cheddar, shredded
6 oz (175 ml) (3/4 cup) Whole Milk

Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C) degrees
Whisk the Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Cayenne together in a bowl.

Add the Butter slices.

Work the butter into the flour with your fingers until the mixture looks kind of like coarse cornmeal.

Add the shredded Cheddar....

Work the Cheddar into the flour as well.

Add the cold Milk.

Stir with a fork until the dough comes together. (it may be a little sticky, but that is OK)

Turn out onto a well floured surface.

Roll to 1/2 inch thick.

Cut 3 inch rounds.

Gather scraps, roll and repeat. (You should end up with 8 - 10 biscuits.)
Place the biscuits on a baking sheet.

Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Swaddle them in a towel to keep them warm.

Consume with copious amounts of butter.

Mangia!!
~~

Eggs'quisite Eggs - Poached Scrambled Eggs in Cheese Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:05:00 +0000

Every once in awhile, I read an article in a food magazine and become obsessed. It was like that with the Fleur de Sel Caramel Chocolate Cake... and so it was with Daniel Patterson's Poached Scrambled Eggs published in Food and Wine Magazine.

I am an egg fan to begin with... Fried, Basted, Omeletted, Coddled, Baked, Poached, Frittata'ed, Scrambled, Boiled, Belgianed, Scotched and even on Pizza... they're ALL good. In fact, if there were no eggs, I am thoroughly convinced I would starve to death. Oh sure, there would still be cheese, but a wise man once said, "Man cannot live by cheese alone." Though I would definitely give it a try.    :)

Luckily this dish combines these two ingredients in a brilliant new way. Thus ensuring that I will not starve and that I will not have to attempt living on cheese alone. I mean come on-- eggs and cheese. Can it possibly get any better? I think not. OK, I will concede the point that Bacon might make it better, but as shocking as it may sound, I am a bit dubious as to whether my beloved nitrate ridden porcine products could possibly improve on the transcendental experience this dish evokes.

Usually, when I am poaching eggs, my main objective is to keep the egg intact as much as possible, thus ensuring my yolks remain all nice and runny. I would never have conceived of poaching "scrambled" eggs. It might be because of my chosen method of scramblization. Normally I just crack the eggs into the pan, allow them to cook for about 30 seconds, then start stirring with a fork... in the pan. Towards the end, I add a little Cream Cheese and some shredded Basil. But the point is, I don't pre-scramble my eggs in a bowl before they enter the hot pan. I have seen people on TV do it that way over and over again, but it just never sunk in. I have simply continued to scramble eggs the way my mom and grandmother do.

Now I see the advantage of scrambling ahead of time in a bowl; it affords the opportunity for some slightly unconventional egg cookery. :)   Lemme tell ya, I think I am going to be cooking my scrambled eggs this way from now on. Cause golly bob howdy, Vern! They are GOOD in all their permutations.

Oh yes... I do mean permutations. This recipe is a great frame work for some awesome eggs. Not a fan of Goat cheese? Try Mascarpone and Pecorino Tartufo with Thyme. Sheep milk cheese not your thing? How does Cream Cheese and Gruyere with Chives grab you? Well, I have tried all 3 and they are all decadently delicious.

Poached Scrambled Eggs in Goat Cheese Sauce

1 cup warm Water, divided; plus more for poaching the eggs
4 oz soft fresh Goat Cheese, such as Chevre
2 oz aged hard Goat Cheese, such as Etude or goat Gouda, shredded
1 TB freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
4 large Eggs
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 tsp chopped Rosemary, Chives, Tarragon or Thyme (Your Choice)

Prepare water for poaching by adding about 3-4 cups of water to a saute pan and set it over medium-high flame.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by combining fresh goat cheese with 1/4 cup of warm water

and whisking until smooth.

In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup of water to a simmer.

Stir in the aged goat cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano until melted and smooth.

Whisk in the fresh goat cheese "sauce".

Season with Salt and Pepper, then keep warm over VERY low heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs well.

Once the poaching liquid is simmering, use a wooden spoon to stir the water vigorously in a circular motion to create a whirlpool in the center.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and stop stirring.

Immediately pour the scrambled eggs into the center.

Cover the pot and cook for exactly 40 seconds.

Using a slotted spoon to hold the eggs back, tilt the saucepan and pour off the water into the sink.

Carefully transfer the scrambled eggs to a strainer, preferably in once piece, and let drain for 10 seconds.

Divide the eggs between 4 bowls.

Then spoon the warm cheese sauce all around.

Drizzle with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper.

Sprinkle with fresh Rosemary, Chives, Tarragon or Thyme.

Serve immediately.

Now THAT is a big bowl of love!

Mangia!!
~~

Reflecting on the Past - Chestnut Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:18:00 +0000

It's fairly common for one to reflect upon one's past during at the turn of the year. Well I, being a somewhat off-centered person, began reflecting a little further back that was probably necessary; to a time before I was born (It's a bit of a rabbit trail, but bear with me) To a time before the Chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) that decimated the American Chestnut trees. To a time when the Chestnut was celebrated in more than just a song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). To a time when these sweet mahogany bundles of deliciousness graced the winter table more often than just as a Thanksgiving stuffing ingredient or a birthday party at the home of Farmer Gray. (Pop, Pop, Pop)

Yes... The Chestnut.

It lives on in songs of winter celebrations, but that pretty much covers it. Very sad.

Thus I have made a New Year's resolution... To promote the chestnut as a delicious and healthy addition to your winter table. It's time for the Chestnut to move beyond Thanksgiving and Christmas. After all, they are "technically" harvested ALL winter; October through March.

Chestnuts contain twice as much starch as potatoes and are the only nut that contains vitamin C (40mg per 100g which is 65% of the RDA) They are about 44% carbohydrates, of which only 11% are sugars, and contain absolutely NO Cholesterol. This deficiency in Cholesterol is primarily due to their low oil content. Their carbohydrate/protein ratio brings them in line with things like Brown Rice and Spring Wheat. Though unlike wheat, chestnuts are gluten free.

Chestnuts should remain refrigerated in the crisper drawer in a paper or mesh bag, for they will go bad fairly quickly after harvesting and will dry out. Granted, this "drying" out is part of the starch conversion to sugar, which makes the chestnuts sweeter. So if you have particularly fresh chestnuts, that have no "give" to the shell when pressed upon, you may want to set them out in a cool place and allow them to dry slightly for a couple of days.

Chestnuts can be frozen, but it effects the flavor and texture; making them slightly mushy. But, even though I am not using frozen chestnuts in the following recipe, they would be perfect in this particular application. Since the starch content of Chestnuts is so high, they make a perfect pureed soups... adding body as well as a heavenly fragrance and flavor.

This particular soup leans heavily on the concept behind vichyssoise (Potato-Leek Soup), however, I have removed the cream from it in an attempt to showcase the flavor of the chestnut and it's ability to bind a soup into a lovely bisque without any extra "smoothing" agents.

An added bonus is that this recipe is, what I like to call, pseudo-vegan. Meaning if you simply replace 1 or 2 ingredients it goes from a carnivore meal to a vegan one. In this case, replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock and your veganized.

Chestnut Soup

12 large Roasted Chestnuts, peeled (about 6 oz or 170g)
2 TB Olive Oil
1 cup (2.5 oz) (70g) Celery, chopped
1 cup (2.5 oz) (70g) Leek, sliced
1/4 tsp ground White Pepper
4 cups Chicken Stock (or Vegetable Stock)
Crispy Shiitake mushrooms (for garnish)
Chopped Celery Leaves (for garnish)

Roast your Chestnuts.... Peel them and set them aside.

Place Olive Oil in a 2 quart saucepan, and set over medium flame.

A couple of minutes later, add the Celery and Leek;

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent, about 10 minute; then add the Chicken Stock and Chestnuts; then bring to a boil.

Partly cover and reduce the flame; then let everything hang out and simmer until chestnuts are very soft, about 30 minutes.

Puree the hot soup in a blender, in batches.

(don't forget to remove the center lid and cover with a towel to allow for venting... You don't want to wear any of the hot soup)

Run each pureed batch through a strainer (just in case) and into a clean pot.

Add enough Chicken stock (or Vegetable stock) to bring the total liquid up to 6 cups.

Season with White Pepper and place the pot over a low flame to bring the soup back to temperature.

Meanwhile, thinly slice some small Shiitake mushrooms.

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium flame.

Add the Shiitake and saute until crispy.

Drain briefly on a paper towel.

Ladle the hot soup into a bowl and garnish with crispy Shiitake mushrooms and chopped Celery leaves (Chervil is nice too)

Mangia!!
~~

Wordless Wednesday - Santa Fills Hunter's Stocking

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:39:00 +0000

1970's Retrospective - Olive Cheese Nuggets

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 03:50:00 +0000

I think this is one of the most lasting recipes to ever come out of the 70's. All three of us boys make them, and we never seem to make enough to satiate the holiday crowd. For these have become my family's New Year celebratory icon.

I have always found it somewhat amusing that when someone is exposed to them for the first time, they always express incredulity that these tiny nuggets of heaven could be good. Then, with something that could only be construed as fear, or panic, they pop one into their mouth, and then another, and then another...

Before you know it, they are hiding in the corner with the plate in their lap, shoveling these little savory bits of cheesy goodness into their mouths and screaming for more... LOL

This makes a lot if you are using the small Manzanilla olives, not quite as many if you use the Queen olives. While the Queens are significantly larger, they come stuffed with Garlic or Almonds or Jalapenos or even Anchovies. So take your pick, it's up to you, get creative... Find your favorite combination.

I particularly liked the Onion/Vermouth soaked olives; but was terribly UNimpressed by the Feta stuffed as well as the Blue Cheese stuffed... They conflicted too much with the Cheddar Cheese.

Olive Cheddar Nuggets

4 oz (113g) (1 cup) shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, room temperature
2 oz (56g) (1/4 cup) Unsalted Butter (Softened)
3.5 oz (100g) (3/4 cup) AP Flour
1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
A pinch of Cayenne pepper
34-ish Pimento stuffed Manzanilla Olives or 18-20 Queen Olives (stuffed as you like)

With an electric mixer, blend softened Butter with shredded Cheese until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk Flour with Salt, Paprika and Cayenne.

Slowly add the Flour mixture to the Butter/Cheese mixture......

Stirring until a soft dough is formed.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour

OK, this is the hard part.....
Preheat the oven to 400 F (205 C) degrees.
Dry your olives well, or you will have a hard time doing this; the dough will not stick to the olive at all. They will soak up the excess brine and become gooey.

Take a small amount of dough (about a 1 1/2 tsp) and wrap it around the olive, to completely encase it.

Set the nuggets on a parchment lines baking sheet.

At this point, they may be covered in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, however, they must be brought to room temperature before baking (1 hour on the counter)

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes. (usually 12 minutes with Manzanilla Olives and 15 minutes for Queens)

Serve to your incredulous guests, but watch carefully to make sure no one snitches your serving tray.

Mangia!!
~~

Snowball Fight!!! - Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 07:06:00 +0000

One year, when I was but a young pup, we discovered that our Christmas Tree Balls were broken while being stored in the shed (undoubtedly due to the wind storm that took half the roof off). I think the Wind Storm was the year after the 8 ft snow fall, which would put it 2 years after the Ice Storm of '77. So, yeah, the Wind Storm of '79.

Hey, I lived in the Columbia Gorge... We have ourselves some extreme weather, and every Corbett-onian will tell you that 70 mile an hour winds at Crown Point are not an uncommon event during the winter months.

Anyway, my original point was that East wind busted our balls. (no snickering, please) So, mom got her "create on". I think that was the first year that we made the cinnamon ornaments that I mentioned a couple posts back. But while the cinnamon dough makes great "gingerbread men" it doesn't really make good balls. Her final answer to this spherical dilemma....?

Grandma's Marshmallow Popcorn balls.

For once they are wrapped in cellophane and tied with string, they made perfect Christmas Tree balls. I suppose we could have dyed them different colors, but then again, mom was against that kind of "chemical poisoning" when we were growing up. A wise woman indeed. Besides, when they remain white, it just looks like the gingerbread men are having a snowball fight on your tree. :)

If you are really chaffing for color though, and have an aversion to artificial colorants, you can attempt to find Reynolds colored plastic wrap (usually in red and green), or use cellophane wrapping from a craft store.

These are the same idea as Rice Krispie treats. Marshmallows, Salt and Butter all melted into a syrupy goo that is then dumped over copious amounts of popped Popcorn. The only real difference is all the extra butter you will need to keep your hands well lubricated to form the balls. (yes, I realize how that sounds)

ANYWAY.... ;)

Grandma's Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

4 quarts (4 oz) (113g) Popped Corn
6 cups (11 oz) (312 g) Mini-Marshmallows
1/3 cup (2.6 oz) (77g) Unsalted Butter, plus extra for buttering the bowl and your hands
1 tsp Kosher Salt

Line 2 baking sheets with Waxed Paper... (You may only need 1 sheet, it really depends on how big you make your balls and how big your baking sheets are)

Butter a large bowl.

Add popped Popcorn.

Melt Butter and Salt in a saucepan.

Add 1/2 of the Marshmallows and stir until they melt.

Add the remaining Marshmallows and stir until they melt to become a rich marshmallow creme.

Drizzle the marshmallow creme mixture over the popcorn.

Stir with a buttered wooden spoon or a silicon spatula until all the popcorn is coated.

Now, butter your hands really well.

Scoop up a palm full of the popcorn mixture,

and press into a ball. (I used 2 hands to form the balls, but I had to hold the camera)

Place on waxed paper to set. (this takes about 2 hours for them to completely set up)

If the popcorn mix begins to stick to your hands... butter your hands again.
Wrap in plastic wrap (colored if you can find it), or cellophane and tie with a ribbon.

Instant edible ornaments! (unlike the cinnamon - gingerbread men)

Or simply stack on a cake plate to form a wintery centerpiece...

Mangia!!
~~

Elfin Pies - Pecan Tassies

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:21:00 +0000

I love making tassies around Christmas. Their diminutive stature makes me think of elves. (Yes, I really am just a big kid) They equate to about 2 bites, which makes them the perfect size for kids and adults alike. On top of that, they are just plain cute.... You know, like "chubby cheeked baby" kind of cute. Though I would strongly discourage pinching the tassies.

Normally, I make Lemon tassies, cause I am a sour puss. This year, however, I was in the mood for Pecan ones. I have a sneaking suspicion this is due to the lack of Pecan pie at Thanksgiving. Thus I have not consumed my traditional 1 piece of Pecan pie this year.

The crust for Pecan Tassies is really more of a cookie, thus it's extremely simple to prepare. Granted, pressing it into the little muffin tins is a little time consuming, but it's not really all that bad. I do feel I should mention the wooden "Dough Pusher" things. I am all for kitchen gadgets that make your life easier, but I have one of those things, and never use it. The dough always sticks to the thing, no matter how well I flour it. Nope.... don't like it at all. By the time I get done fighting with it, trying to make it work, I could have just done it by hand in 1/2 the time. Thus I just use my fingers. Besides, I like to feel how thick the sides and bottom are on each one. I guess I am just one of those people who needs to "feel" my food. :)

Pecan Tassies

Crust:
6 oz (170g) Cream Cheese
1 cup (227g) (8 oz) Unsalted Butter
pinch of Kosher Salt
2 tsp Granulated Sugar
2 1/2 cups (320 g) (11.3oz) AP Flour

Filling:
1 large Egg
1 large Egg Yolk
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups Pecans, broken

Beat Cream Cheese, Butter, Salt and Sugar in the bowl of your mixer, until light and fluffy.

Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour.

Continue mixing until a soft sticky dough is formed.

Gather into a ball and flatten slightly,

then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to firm it up.

Place Egg, Egg Yolk, Sugars, Vanilla extract, and Kosher Salt in a medium glass pitcher.

Mix well, with a fork, until thoroughly combined, then set aside.

Spread the Pecans out on a sheet pan and toast in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes.

Break up the Pecans into pieces and set aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and break of .5 oz (15 g) pieces then roll them into balls and plop them in the holes of your mini-muffin tins. (this will make 2 batches of 24 tassies)

Press in the center with your thumb to make an imprint in the middle.

Use your index finger to gently press the dough up the sides of each mini-muffin depression.

Fill each tassie shell with broken pecans.

Spoon (or pour) about 1 TB of the mixture over the top filling about 3/4 full (I overfilled mine slightly... oops)

Place in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown. (They puff in the oven, thus the warning about only filling them 3/4 full)

Remove from the oven and let set for 10 minutes in the pan. (just long enough for the gluten to set in the dough but no longer or they will begin to stick to the pan)

Using an off-set spatula to gently lift each tassie out of the pan.

Place on a cooling rack until they come to room temperature.

Place in a tin and store in the refrigerator until ready to consume. (but remember to leave a couple for Santa's Elves on Christmas Eve)

Mangia!!
~~

Elves With Big Shoes - Soft Ginger Krinkles

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:00:00 +0000

I made a mistake... This is what I get for trying to be a Christmas elf. You would think it would not be a problem filling the shoes of a holiday sprite; it's not like their shoes are particularly large or anything. But sometimes things just get lost in translation. This would be a perfect example.

Earlier I spoke of my grandmother's favorite molasses cookie. Well, I had her recipe and I made them for her. The only problem was, it was the wrong molasses cookie. (or so I was informed after the fact) It's a semantics issue. You see, I made Grandma's delicious Molasses Cookies, but afterwards I found out that her favorite cookie is the "Other" Molasses cookie (for which I also have the recipe). LOL

This started an entire debate on what constitutes a MOLASSES cookie. Is it the amount of molasses? Is it the way they are baked? Is it the mixture of spices, if any?

Case in point. Gingerbread cookies have a significant amount of molasses and spices in them, with Ginger being a primary factor in the flavor. Yet we call it a Gingerbread Cookie and not a "molasses cookie shaped like a man". Granted, that would take a heck of a lot longer to say, but I think you see my point. After reading the recipe, I suggested they would be better named Ginger Krinkles, or maybe "Gingered" Molasses.

Alas, my name change suggestions were cast aside. So I guess my family makes 2 kinds of Molasses cookies. One strongly flavored with Molasses and Cinnamon with a chewy interior and a crystalline Demerara Sugar crunch, and the other; softer in texture and spiced with Ginger and Orange peel coated in sparkling Granulated Sugar.

To save everyone else any such misfortune as to make the wrong cookies and thus having to consume them by themselves. (I know; bummer, huh?) I am referring to these my one of the names I suggested. :) In case your wondering, I did have time to rectify the mistaken cookies before being delivered to Grandma. She has absolutely no idea I made the wrong cookies. That is, until she reads this post. LOL

Soft Ginger Krinkles

(The right "Grandma's Favorite Cookie")

2 1/2 cups (12 oz) (340g) AP Flour
1 TB Ginger
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp All-Spice
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
3/4 cup (6 oz) (170g) Unsalted Butter
1 cup (7.1 oz) (200g) Dark Brown Sugar
1 large Egg
1/4 cup (2 oz) (60 ml) Molasses (Robust or Full Flavor)
1 TB dried Orange Peel, or 1 1/2 tsp fresh Orange Zest
Granulated Sugar for Rolling (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup)

Combine Flour, Ginger, Baking Soda, Cinnamon, All-Spice and Salt in a small bowl.

Beat Butter and Brown Sugar in the bowl of your mixer, until fluffy.

Add the Egg and whip until emulsified.

Slowly add the Molasses and beat until well combined.

Add the Orange peel.

Reduce the speed of the mixer and slowly add the Flour, about 1/2 cup at a time.

Once the dough comes together it will be stiff, but slightly sticky.

Move to a surface and give it a little kneed to ensure all the ingredients are well blended, then toss it back in the work bowl.

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees and place about 1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl.

Scoop out 1 TB sized chunks of dough, roll into balls and roll in the Granulated Sugar.

Place on an unlined baking sheet about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 10 minutes (no longer than that, unless you made them bigger) until nice and puffed up.

Let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. (They will flatten and krinkle while cooling)

Mangia!!
~~

Auntie Knows Best - Butterscotch "Caramel" Corn

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:32:00 +0000

Caramel corn... The mere mention of it causes me to swoon. I love caramel corn in all of it's "sincarnations". I can remember being in the 4-H barn at the Multnomah county fair (yes, I was in 4-H) laying on a bale of straw with a stomach ache because I had consumed massive quantities of the stuff out on the midway.   It never stopped me though, I was right back out there the next day, eating my fill of the most decadent of all popcorn's manifestations.

As a result of this somewhat sordid past with Caramel corn, I have developed certain likes and dislikes when it comes to "dressing" popped corn with candy syrup. I prefer that the corn be lightly coated. Not all gloppy and toffee like, with a bit of popped corn here and there. And I like a little salt with my syrup to cut the sweetness. This is why Kettle Corn is one of my top 3.

Another thing I dislike immensely is nuts in my caramel corn. I know, I know... I like nuts in everything, just not in caramel corn. Cracker Jack is out.

But my biggest dislike is when the caramel syrup is WAY too dark, and there is a bitterness to it. Not festive at all. So I tend to like the lighter caramels.

Which brings me to my most favorite Caramel Corn in the world, aside from the awesome stuff at that little shop in Lloyd Center that has been there since my parents were little, my Auntie Patsy's Butterscotch Caramel Corn. It's absolutely perfect and delicious every single time. The only problem is that it's dangerous... You see, it's so easy to make, that you will be making and eating it ALL the time.   :)

Why do I call it Butterscotch Caramel corn? Well, it starts out as a Butterscotch sauce (Brown Sugar and Butter, but no Scotch). Unlike the sauce I use for Poached Pears though, this is cooked to the Hard ball stage. At which point you do a little "Cinder Toffee" magic to lighten the mixture before folding the sauce into the popcorn. Most "Caramel" corn starts with granulated sugar that is then cooked to the "caramel" stage before being poured over the popped corn. This can lead to overly dark caramel and that bitter flavor, as well as a slightly burnt smell, that I don't like. It also does weird things to the popped corn when you pour 310 degree syrup over it. The nice 255 degree syrup is much kinder to your Orville Reddenbacher, leaving the popped corn nice and fluffy without a secondary "cooked" flavor or shriveling it up due to heat.

The coolest part though, is that it is finished in the oven. I mean, honestly, what could possibly be easier? (this is why it's dangerous)

What you end up with is a delicately crisp Popcorn with a mere sheen of crunchy butterscotch caramel deliciousness coating the outside.   It's just Pure Heaven!

Auntie Patsy's Butterscotch Caramel Corn

7 quarts (6.5 oz) (185g) Popped Popcorn (1 quart of popped corn weighs about .9 oz)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Cream of Tarter
1 cup (8 oz) (226g) Unsalted Butter
1 cup (7.1 oz) (200g) Brown Sugar, packed
1 cup (7.2 oz) (205g) Dark Brown Sugar, packed (Dark Brown weighs a little more)
1/2 cup (4 oz) (118 ml) Orange Blossom Honey (by weight, that is 6 oz or 170g)

Pop all of the popcorn, filling a large bowl, and set aside.

(I "pop" each batch into a smaller bowl so I can keep the old maids to a minimum)

Preheat the oven to 200 F (94 C) degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk Baking Soda, Salt and Cream of Tarter together, set aside.

In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the Butter.

Once melted, add the Sugars and the Honey.

Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Continue boiling for about 5 minutes or until the temperature reaches 255 F (124 C) degrees (just shy of hard ball)

Remove from the heat and stir in the Baking Soda mixture.

The syrup will get all foamy and pale as the CO2 is released. (this lightens the syrup, making it easier to pour, and mix with the popcorn)

Pour the syrup over the popcorn.

Gently fold the syrup over the popped corn with a large wooden spoon to coat evenly.

Spread the caramel corn out on a couple of parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour, swapping the position of the baking sheets at 30 minutes.

Let cool on the counter for 20 minutes to firm up into a slab o' Caramel Corn.

Simply break apart and enjoy!

mmmmmm a chunk of butterscotchy caramel deliciousness! If you will excuse me now, I have an appointment with a rather large piece and a cup of coffee. :)

Mangia!!
~~

The Scent of Christmas - Cinnamon Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:24:00 +0000

OK, so this is not food, but it sure smells like it. Mom use to make these when we were little. Though we never decorated them, we simply hung them on the tree and enjoyed the scent.

As an adult, I thought it would be cool to decorate a Christmas tree with cookies one year. It really didn't work all that well. All the cookies became stale and drew moisture. Then they started to get kind of soggy. Eventually, the ribbons pulled through the holes in the top... It was just a big mess... So I now do what my mom did and make cinnamon ornaments that "pose" as cookies. With a little Fabric Paint for frosting, your good to go! No fuss, no muss... And as an added bonus... They smell awesome! Kind of like Gingerbread, though the cinnamon is the predominant aroma.

This is a great "Christmassy" project for kids too.... (OK, adults like it too... Though from my experience, adults tend to make a bigger mess with the paint) LOL

Cinnamon Ornaments

1 1/2 cups (6 oz) ground Cinnamon
2 TB ground Ginger
1/2 TB ground Clove
1 cup (8.5 oz) Applesauce
1/2 cup (4 oz) Elmer's Glue (Not the School glue, get the good ol' "Glue-All" with the blue label)

Place all the spices in a bowl and whisk them together.

Add Applesauce and Glue....

Then mix thoroughly with your fingers (just like making pasta).....

Until it all comes together into a stiff dough. (Yep, it's that simple...)

If the dough is REALLY stiff, you can add about 1 TB of water to soften it a little.

Knead the dough until it's smooth... Careful, cause it's a little sticky. I mean, it does contain glue after all. ;) Then wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit for about an hour to meld. (this gives the spices a chance to absorb the liquids)

Roll out between sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thickness. (it protects your rolling pin, cause you cannot use flour and using more cinnamon would only make the dough too dry to work with.)

Cut out your gingerbread man shapes..... and re-roll the scraps.

I did mostly Gingerbread men but I threw in a couple of Ginger-bears...

OK, since it's traditional, when we make gingerbread cookies, to make a Ginger-goats (I WAS raised on a goat dairy after all) I went ahead and cut out 1 goat.... And since this is Hunter's first Christmas, I made a Ginger-poodle so I can put the date on it. (though he doesn't have the foofy haircut that the cookie cutter has)

Move to a baking sheet, lined with fresh waxed paper.

Poke a hole in the top with a straw or a toothpick so you will be able to hang them on the tree. (a stir straw from your local coffee shop works best)

If you are using "other" cutters than a standard "gingerbread man/bear" you may need to place the hole in a slightly different spot, to ensure it hangs properly with out tilting forward or backwards on the string.

Place the sheet pan in a warm dry place and allow the ornaments to dry for 3 -5 days. You will need to turn them at least twice per day (every 12 hours) to ensure even drying, or the edges will begin to curl.

They will slowly dry from the edges towards the middle... This is day 2.... They are almost ready since the center is only slightly darker than the edges. (They have lightened in color significantly)

Now take them to your niece's and nephews, along with a bunch of "puff" paints, and let them go to town.... LOL

Ginger June and Ward Cleaver... (Erica and Myself)

Ginger-Santa and his army of Zombie Soccer Players.. courtesy of Erica and Blaine.. Respectively

Marshall is in a "Jackson Pollack" phase.....

Fun for kids and a wonderful addition to your Christmas tree. (once you run a ribbon or string through the hole)

As delicious as they smell, please, please, please refrain from licking or biting them.

Mangia!! er, well... Not literally.
~~

The Taste of Christmas - Grandma's "Almond Roca"

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 02:25:00 +0000

A Christmas family tradition since... hmmmm... Well, at least since *I* was born, but probably longer. I honestly cannot remember a Christmas that didn't include this most decadent of all Christmas candies, made with love by Grandma Reva. OK, there were many Christmases in San Diego that were devoid of this holiday treat from grandma's hearth, but now is not the time to ruminate upon sad times. LOL

I have actually tried to make this before, when I was living in San Diego. After all, it's just not Christmas without it. All my attempts ended in chewy toffee, or slightly sugary toffee. Basically, a massive failure. Come to find out, after discussing this with grandma, Almond Roca/English Toffee is REALLY touchy about humidity. Candy usually IS touchy when the air is damp, but this one is particularly finicky. You would think that San Diego would be dry enough, being coastal dessert and all, but alas, the humidity is still on the high side during the December months. So, repeat after me... "Dry weather is Almond Roca's friend"

When making Almond Roca, there is another issue to be aware of besides the humidity... There is an entire POUND of butter in this stuff and that equates to a lot of milk protein. Milk proteins scorch very easily. Thus, though it is usually frowned upon, you MUST stir this candy constantly during the cooking process to avoid any scorched flavors. You will also need to use a good quality butter as well. Oh, I am not talking about the fancy cultured butter or anything like that, but you need to be aware of the butterfat/water ratio. The more water means a longer boiling time and a longer boiling time leaves more time for the candy to scorch.

Why is there so much butter in the toffee? Well, aside from the richness it imparts to the candy, there is the matter of the sugar crystallization. Toffee is basically a Hard Crack candy, like Peanut Brittle or Rock Candy. Brittle is usually a little more tender due to the carbon dioxide gas produced by adding baking soda at the end of the cooking process, right before pouring. The little bubbles of gas interfere with the sugar crystal formation, forcing smaller crystals to form and thus making the candy more "brittle" than rock candy, which is called rock candy for a reason... It's hard as a rock. In order to produce a toffee that doesn't break your teeth, you add copious amounts of butter fat. The fat interferes with the formation of the the sugar crystals, just as the carbon dioxide gas does in Peanut Brittle. The end result is a much more tender, yet crisp candy that isn't quite so hard on your fillings and crowns. ;)

I have done my best to explain the process, but there are certain things that are very difficult to convey. I have made 3 batches today, and they all finished at different temperatures. There is a particular color of brown that the syrup changes to when it is ready... anywhere from 298 to 305 degrees. I took 302 F as an average of the temperatures. Hard Crack stage is at 300 F. So it's a pretty safe bet, that if you cook it to 302 F, it will be fine. Just don't go past 305 F. Not only will the sugar begin to burn but the milk proteins from the butter will definitely burn....

Grandma's Almond Roca

(Chocolate covered English Toffee)

2 cups (453g) (16 oz) Unsalted Butter (Yeah, this ain't no diet food)
1/4 cup (60ml) (2 oz) Water
1 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Cream of Tarter (or 1 tsp Vinegar)
2 cups (400g) (14.2 oz) Granulated Sugar
2 TB Lyle's Golden Syrup or light Corn Syrup (but Lyle's works better)
1 1/3 cup (150g) (5.2oz) Slivered Almonds
12 oz (340 g) Chocolate of your choice (I make 3 batches and cover two in Milk and the third in Dark)
2 oz (60g) ground sliced Almonds

Line a 15 x 10 baking sheet (the same size I use for Grandma's pumpkin roll) with parchment paper or apply a thin coating of vegetable oil.

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat.

Mix Water, Salt and Cream of Tarter together in a small pitcher, making sure the salt is dissolved completely.

When the Butter has melted completely, add Sugar....

and the Water mixture and stir to combine.

Add the Golden Syrup and stir some more (this is just the beginning, you are going to be stirring A LOT during this process)

Stir until the mixture comes to a boil.

Add the candy thermometer, making sure it is not touching the bottom of the pan, and continue stirring.

Make sure you do NOT increase the temperature past medium, or your risk of scorch increases exponentially. Just be patient, and continue stirring...

The syrup will foam up a lot at first, then it will settle back down and slowly change from beige yellow to a rich golden brown....

When the thermometer reaches 295 F (146 C) degrees, add the slivered almonds and stir them in.

Continue stirring as the temperature drops a little, down to about 285 F (140 C), just keep on cooking it over medium-low heat, stirring constantly...

The temperature will begin to climb again after a couple minute... Watch closely until it reaches 302 F (150 C) degrees.

Remove from the heat and pour the candy into the prepared pan... Spreading it to the edges with your wooden spoon.

Allow it to cool and "set".
Meanwhile, scrap the pan and save those bits for yourself, cause you need to replenish your energy from all that stirring. :)

After about 20 minutes, you can score it if you like, but I prefer to just break it apart later. (it snaps fairly easily. The chunks may be a little irregular, but that is part of the charm of homemade candy)
Once the toffee has cooled and set completely, melt 6 oz (170 g) of the chocolate.

Pour onto the toffee slab and spread with an offset spatula until the entire side is covered.

Sprinkle lightly with 1 oz (30 g) of broken sliced almonds.

Allow to set, then flip the slab over and repeat...

Melt remaining chocolate, spread remaining chocolate, sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Once the second side has set, you can simply break the slab apart... And enjoy.

mmmmmm Rich and buttery! Yep, tastes JUST like Christmas.

Mangia!!
~~

Wordless Wednesday - Hunter Meets Santa Klaus at Petco

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:59:00 +0000

Hot Cocoa's Best Friend - Honey Marshmallows

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:59:00 +0000

I have attempted to make marshmallows many many MANY times. Each time, the results have been a disaster. I went so far as to "blow up" my Oster Kitchen center in my quest to attain the perfect marshmallow. In a way, it's because of marshmallows that I now own a Kitchen Aid mixer. LOL
Alas, even with a KA, I still have not been able to achieve satisfactory marshmallow-dom.

That is, until now.

Thanks "bee" to The Pioneer Lady's Country Kitchen, for her Honey marshmallows are not only right up my ally (being made with honey) they come out perfect every time!

My 4 year long quest has come to a close and I have attained a state of Marshmallow Nirvana. Now if you will excuse me, I must go make some Hot Cocoa to enjoy my puffy white pillows of deliciousness. :)

Honey Marshmallows

Oil for the baking dish and the saucepan
Cornstarch to dust baking dish
1 TB unflavored Gelatin
a pinch of Kosher Salt
236ml (8oz) (1 cup) Water, divided
200g (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
236ml (8 oz) (1 cup) Honey (or 315g or 11.1oz depending on how you prefer to measure it)
Confectioners' Sugar for dusting marshmallows (about 1 cup-ish or 125 to 150 ish grams)

Grease an 9 x 9 pan and dust with cornstarch, then set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, pour 118ml (4oz) (1/2 cup) of the Water and sprinkle the Gelatin over the surface to bloom.

Sprinkle with a pinch of Salt.

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining Water with Sugar and Honey.

Set this over medium flame and cook, without stirring, until it reaches Soft-Ball stage or between 234F and 240F (112C-115C).

Remove the syrup from the flame and pour over the bloomed Gelatin, stirring well to combine.

Allow this to cool until it has the consistency of a "raw egg white". I know that is kid of vague, but the temp varies slightly somewhere around 80 F (26 C) degrees

Then begin whipping the mixture with your whisk attachment (or rotary beater if you don't have a whisk) until stiff peaks form.

Pour into the prepared baking dish and allow the mixture to firm up and dry out for 8-12 hours, uncovered. (Yes, I started these yesterday evening and finished them first thing this morning)

Turn out onto a flat surface that has been liberally dusted with Confectioners' Sugar. (you may need to loosen the sides with a frosting spatula)

Cut into 1-inch strips, with a Confectioners' Sugar dusted knife, and roll each piece in more Confectioners' Sugar.

Cut each strip into 1 inch pieces.

Dredge again in Confectioners' Sugar.

Lay finished marshmallows on a piece of waxed paper and allow them to completely dry for an additional hours or so.

Turn them over and dust with Confectioners' Sugar, again. Let them dry for 1 hour longer. (you will notice that the exposed sides have begun to form a dry "crust" on them. This is a good thing)

Once they are completely dry, dust all the marshmallows again in Confectioners' Sugar before storing in an air tight container between sheets of waxed paper.

NOW is the time to make some Hot Cocoa (Not Hot Chocolate, actual Hot Cocoa)

Mangia!!
~~

Oldie But Goodie - Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

I decided that for my second non-shortbread Christmas cookie, I would tackle one of my grandmother's favorite treats. Old Fashioned Molasses cookies.

That's all. No big uber fantastically sentimental Christmas story behind these. It's just that she doesn't bake the way she use to anymore, due to her medical issues; so it's up to we grandchildren to carry the torch and provide HER with all the delectable morsels that she has made for US over the years. And just in case she sees this.... I love you Granny! You da bomb!

Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

270g (9.5 oz) (2 cups) AP Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp ground Ginger
1/4 tsp ground Cloves
113g (8 TB) Unsalted Butter
200g (1 cup) Light Muscovado Sugar (or Dark Brown Sugar)
2 TB Nut oil (Such as Peanut, Hazelnut or Walnut)
80ml (1/3 cup) unsulphured Full Flavor Molasses (I think "Grandma's" brand calls it"Robust")
1 large Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 - 3/4 cup Raw Sugar or Demerara Sugar

In a small bowl, combine AP Flour, Baking Soda, Kosher Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger and Cloves, whisking well to disperse the spices.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat Butter and Muscovado Sugar until fluffy. (Light Muscovado is a little darker than "Dark" Brown Sugar and a little moister, so you get more flavor and more "chew" in the final cookie)

Add Oil and continue beating to combine well.

Slowly pour in the molasses (I use Brer Rabbit because that is what my grandmother always used)

Once the molasses is combines well and it doesn't look like it has separated, add the Egg and beat until everything is all light and fluffy like frosting. (about 2 minutes)

Add the Vanilla extract and beat an additional minute.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, and begin adding the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.

The dough will almost be as soft as "batter"; don't worry, it's still fine.

Move to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C) degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Place 1/2 -3/4 cup of Demerara or Raw Sugar in a bowl. (you can use white sugar, but Raw & Demerara have more molasses flavor)

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll into 1 inch balls.

Roll them in the Raw Sugar or Demerara Sugar until completely coated.

Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes (they will puff up and then sink back down in a nice crackled pattern when done)

Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes.

Then move them to a cooling rack.

Mangia!!
~~

Hard Candy Christmas - Stained Glass Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:35:00 +0000

It's time to begin the cookie and candy fest, for December has arrived! This year, aside from Shortbread, I have decided to kick off the baking frenzy with an old family favorite from my childhood. Stained-Glass cookies. Mom use to make them every year and we just thought it was the coolest thing ever!

Granted, mom had to suffer through using aluminum foil back in those days, cause Silpat and parchment were not nearly as readily available as they are now. This did foster some issues, as the melted candy would occasionally and quite stubbornly adhere to the foil and not relinquish it's grip. Thus, tiny bits of foil would be consumed along with the cookies. Which was really only a problem if you had a filling and bit down on said hunk of metal. OUCH! But we ate them anyway, cause they were just plain cool.

I have a confession... This has been on my list of Holiday "To Do" list ever since I found this Snowflake cookie cutter set at the Cabazon Outlet mall near Palm Springs back in 2003. With all the other baking and candy making that ensues at this time of year, they always end up on the proverbial back burner.

This is really nothing more than a basic sugar cookie dough with cut outs and either Jolly Rancher or LifeSaver candies, broken into small bits, and used to fill the empty spaces so they can melt in the oven and create a colored pane of "Candy Glass". (Though I have a family recipe for cinnamon glass that I will hopefully have time to share this year as well) Totally easy to do, but a little time consuming, which is why they never get made.

Stained Glass Snowflakes

170g (12 TB) (3/4 cup) unsalted Butter
150g (5.2 oz) (3/4 cup) Granulated Sugar
1 large Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
312g (11.1 oz) (2 1/2 cups) AP Flour
3/4 tsp Kosher Salt
pinch of Mace
Assorted Hard Candies (I like Lifesavers, but Jolly Ranchers work too)

Standard procedure.....
Beat Butter with Granulated Sugar until light and fluffy.

Add Egg and continue beating until emulsified.

Add Vanilla and beat again.

Combine Flour, Kosher Salt and Mace in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

Turn mixer to low speed and begin adding the Flour mixture in 1/2 cup increments.

Once all the flour has been mixed in and a soft dough forms...

Divide into 3 5-inch rounds, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Now the fun part! :) Smashin' candy with the flat side of a meat mallet! I picked Lifesavers 5 flavors, but I also picked up a few of the newer "Tropical" flavors... They will be a little more opalescent instead of translucent

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grab 1 piece of dough from the refrigerator and roll out to 1/8 inch thick on a well-floured surface.

Cut out your cookies with a large cutter of your choice. (I am using my medium snowflake)

Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1 inch apart.

You can either cut out the centers with a second smaller cutter, use a knife to cut out designs. (My set came with small cutters to make the snowflakes more lacy)

Add the cut out bits to the scraps pile.
Place the baking sheet back in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to completely chill the cookies down.
Gather the scraps together and re-wrap, placing them back in the refrigerator as well.

If you have a second prepared sheet, go ahead and grab one of the other two disks of dough and repeat the above process.... Chilling the baking sheet with the cookies on it and refrigerating the scraps. (you will combine all the scraps from all three original disks and all the cut out scraps for a final rolling)

Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and place in the oven for 3 minutes, to start the cooking.

After 3 minutes, remove the sheet and place small amounts of broken candy into all the cut outs. (be careful not to over fill or it will run over the cookie surface when it melts)

Place the baking sheet back in the oven for an additional 8 minutes or until the cookies are golden on the edges and the candy has melted, but not bubbled. (if the candy begins to bubble it may actually burn)

Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet on a rack. (about 10 minutes)

Gently transfer the cookies to another cooling rack and continue cutting, par-baking, filling, and final baking cookies.

When all the cookies are completed, store in an airtight container.(The glass will melt if the humidity is too high)

Share the magic with your children!

Mangia!!
~~

Note: We attempted to use these as tree ornaments one year by punching a hole in the top for a string. Alas, the humidity in Western Oregon is just a little too high and the candy panes began to melt and run over the space of about 1 week. If you live in a dryer climate, they make lovely tree ornaments.

Prepare a Pair of Poached Pears - Spice Poached Pears in Butterscotch

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:28:00 +0000

It has become apparent to me, while trying to come up with a title for this post, that I have seen WAY to many Veggie-Tales episodes that feature Silly Songs with Larry; for I cannot seem to get the Homophone song out of my head......

I know a pear, pear, pear, pear
With a pair of really soft shoes.
He wears them to pare, pare, pare, pare
Bushes that easily bruise.

Homophones! Homophones!
Where the toads are towed out on the plane
Homophones! Homophones!
I need my kneaded biscuits plain

Whether, whether, whether whether,
Whether you like it or not.
Weather, weather, weather weather,
Weather is cold, warm and hot...

And something about rows of a bad smelling rose and a nose that knows. (sigh)

I guess I should be happy that I am not roasting a Cebu for dinner! (it's a bovine cousin, kind of like a water buffalo)

Homophones, talking cucumbers and cebu aside..... To me, a poached pear is a fundamental fall food. I'm not completely sure why, but I think it has to do with mom & dad canning pears every autumn when I was growing up. A lot of things were canned in the fall, for that was harvest time. If you wanted to eat fruit in the winter, you needed to can it in the fall. Let's face it, I am old enough to remember a time before refrigerated produce from Peru and Argentina made it's way to grocery store shelves. Thus, canning Applesauce, Pears, Apricots, Cherries & Peaches, as well as freezing Huckleberries, Raspberries, Marionberries and Gooseberries, ensured a plentiful supply of said fruits through the winter.

After all, there is nothing quite so delicious as a Peach Kuchen in January.

But getting back to pears. The scent of pears would permeate the kitchen while mom & dad were peeling, packing and finally pouring syrup into the jars before lidding them and throwing them in the water bath so the lids would seal. Yeah, I am pretty sure this is where my love of poached pears comes from.

But being me, I am not happy with a simple sugar syrup. I should rephrase that. I would still be happy, but I am happy-er when I get a chance to break out some flavor enhancements. And I can think of nothing so perfectly suited to enhance the flavor of a pear than Gewurztraminer. The spice floral aroma is intoxicating and the juicy lychee flavor with hints of grapefruit is heaven in a bottle. Add a little Lemon and some Ginger, and you have a winner! OK, I will admit that if you pour Butterscotch over just about anything, it increases it's awesomeness factor by 75%!

Spice Poached Pears in Butterscotch

6 medium Bosc Pears
1 Lemon
1 bottle Gewurztraminer (a spicy floral)
1 cup Water
1 cup Sugar
2 inches Ginger, sliced
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Meyer Lemon, juiced
1 Mexican Vanilla Bean ("spicy" vanilla flavor as opposed to Tahitian which is more "creamy")
Butterscotch sauce

First you need some beautiful Bosc pears... These are my favorites for poaching. It's not just because they have the quintessential "pear" shape, although that is part of it, it's mainly because these pears maintain their shape during poaching and their texture actually improves. They do not become all mushy and disgusting. Bartletts, I have been told, do this too, but not as well as the Bosc pears do.

Before peeling the pears, you need to fill a bowl with cold water and squeeze the juice from a lemon into the water. Heck, throw the lemon halves in as well. This will keep the pears from browning once they have been peeled.

Gently peel the pears with a vegetable peeler, carefully following the pear's voluptuous curves, flatten the bottom just a little with the peeler, and place it in the Lemon water.

After you are finished peeling all the pears, let them just hang out in the lemon water while you make the Gewurztraminer syrup.

Grab a medium stock pot, that is just big enough to hold the pears, combine Gewurztraminer, Water, Sugar, Ginger, Cinnamon stick, Meyer Lemon Juice and a split Mexican Vanilla Bean.

Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Remove the pears from the Lemon water and plunge them into the simmering liquid, stem up, then cover the surface of the simmering syrup with a tea towel to keep the pears weighed down to ensure even poaching. (if the pears are not completely covered with liquid, add some of the Lemon water)

Let the pears simmer for about 25-30 minutes, then remove the pot from the flame and let the pears cool in the poaching liquid.

When ready to serve, grab a bowl and spoon a pool of Butterscotch in the bottom.

Remove a pear from the warm liquid,

and place it in the center of the Butterscotch pool.

Drizzle a heafty spoonful of butterscotch over the top near the stem and let it languidly run down the sides of the pear.

Serve to your awestruck guests... :)

Mangia!!
~~

Devilishly Delicious - Grandma's Deviled Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:03:00 +0000

There are many, many, many recipes for Deviled Eggs. In fact, I have about 7 different iterations in my repertoire that I have made for various occasions. (Tarragon Mustard is REALLY good) But 'tis the season for celebrating family foods. Thus I am presenting to you, one of our Thanksgiving staples.... Grandma's recipe for deviled eggs. (Yes, I am aware that they kind of look like eyes) LOL But they are still tasty.

Grandma's Deviled Eggs

As many large Eggs as you are willing to boil.....
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Best Foods (Hellman's) Sandwich Spread
Sweet Paprika
Manzanilla Green Olives (the little ones)

First you need to boil and peel eggs... This, in and of itself, can be a pain in the proverbial booty.
This is how I boil eggs to ensure that a) they peel correctly without the membrane sticking and b) that I don't end up with green sulfurous yolks.

Place eggs in a stock pot and cover with cold water.

Place over medium-high flame and bring to a boil.

Cover and remove from the flame, letting them sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. (only 10 minutes)

While they are hangin' out in the hot water it is time to prepare an ice bath.

Using a spider or a slotted spoon, move the eggs from the hot water to the ice bath. This will shock the eggs and do two things...

It will stop the cooking immediately (this is good in 2 respects as it ensures that your whites will not be rubbery and your yolks will not turn green with sulfur compounds)

It shocks the interior membrane between the shell and the white, making releasing of the shell a much more pleasant eggs-perience. :)

Once the eggs have completely chilled, it's time to crack and peel. I personally am a tap and roll kind of guy. Meaning, I tap them on the counter, all the way around the egg, then kind of roll it with a little pressure to break the shell into tiny bits.

Once I start peeling, because the shocked membrane adheres to the shell and not the white, I usually find that most of the shell comes off in 1 piece.

Continue in this way until you have a whole slew of beautifully peels eggs.
Now the fun part.
When it comes time to split the eggs in half, I grab the sharpest knife I own... My filleting knife. (with an edge as fine as frog hair)

Slice each egg down the center, lengthwise, and pop the yolks out into a bowl and set the whites in an "deviled egg" container, or on a plate. (I forgot to shake the eggs and center the yolks before boiling)

Once you have halved all the eggs and removed all the yolks, go ahead and smash the yolks with a fork into a fine "meal".

Now it's time to add the secret ingredient... Best Foods sandwich spread (it saves a step, cause the pickle relish is already in it)

This is the bad part, there is no set amount... But to give you a ball park figure, I boiled 19 eggs and used 1/2 of the 15 oz jar.

Mix everything together well along with Kosher Salt and Black pepper, then transfer the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.

Fill each egg....

Sprinkle with Sweet Paprika

Slice manzanilla green olives in half.

Top each egg with a green olive half.

Voila!

Mangia!!
~~

Cauliflower Power - Cauliflower & Chestnut au Gratin with Asiago Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 06:04:00 +0000

I don't know 'bout you, but I really love cauliflower. Especially when it is covered in cheese sauce (mornay). And nothin' says cheesy mornay lovin' with complete conviction the way an "au Gratin" can. This is one of my most favorite au Gratins, followed very closely by Pommes de Terre au Dauphinois. Who can possibly say "No" to Cauliflower and Chestnuts baked in a thyme laced Asiago Cream sauce. It's utter decadence. Which is why I only make it once a year. And Thanksgiving is the perfect Holiday to bust this one out.

I believe I originally got this recipe from the Hastings. Then again I have read so many recipes over the years, it could truly be anyone... LOL I know it originally called for 3/4 lb Purple Cauliflower and 1 lb of White Cauliflower. Me? I prefer to use the 3/4 lb of the Orange Cauliflower instead, but could not find any this year. I also like to change out the Parmigiano-Reggiano for Asiago, though it is quite tasty with Gruyere as well.

I apologize for the final pictures looking kind of messy, but it was Thanksgiving. In this family, no one is really willing to take a chance that the food might get cold in order for someone to take a picture of it... LOL

Cauliflower and Chestnut au Gratin

1 3/4 lb (795 g) Cauliflower florets, cut into bite sized pieces (or 1 lb White and 3/4 lb Orange)
12 Roasted Chestnuts, chopped
4 cups (945 ml) Heavy Cream (yeah, you know it's gonna be good)
2.6 oz (75 g) (3/4 cup) Asiago d'allevo, freshly grated (and now it's better than good)
1/2 tsp Thyme, chopped
8 oz (225 g) fresh French baguette, torn into 2-inch pieces
2 TB Thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 cup Parsley, chopped
3 TB Chives, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
1 clove Garlic, finely minced
~1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
~3/4 tsp Black Pepper
4 oz (113 g) (1/2 cup) (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, melted (and this makes it awesome)
~1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
~1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Disassemble the cauliflower head into bite sized pieces...

For reference, that is about this big....

In a medium stockpot, combine Cauliflower, Chestnuts, and Heavy Cream.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; immediately reduce heat to low and simmer until Cauliflower is tender. (about 10 to 12 minutes)

Remove cauliflower and chestnuts from cream with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.

Add shredded Asiago and Thyme to the Cream and bring to a boil over medium flame.

Reduce heat to low and Simmer until cream sauce reduces by half and thickens slightly. (about 15-20 minutes)

Meanwhile, it's time to make the bread crumb topping......

Tear the baguette into 2 inch pieces.

Place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs are formed.

Transfer crumbs to a large bowl, then add Thyme, Parsley, Chives, Lemon Zest, Garlic, Salt, and Pepper;

Mix with hands until well combined.

Drizzle with melted Butter and toss with a fork until the crumbs and herbs are evenly coated; set aside.

When the sauce is ready.....
Return cauliflower to Parmigiano-Reggiano Cream mixture and stir to coat well, then season with Salt and Pepper.

Spoon Cauliflower mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 baking.

Top with the Breadcrumb mixture.

Move the baking dish to the oven and bake until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling. (about 4 to 5 minutes)

Serve warm. (Trust me, it doesn't really have a chance to get cold)

Mangia!!
~~

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire... er, I mean "Oven" - Oven Roasted Chestnuts

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:55:00 +0000

One of the things I have always wanted to do is roast chestnuts over an open fire. Alas, this is not possible when one lives in an apartment without a fire place, thus I have never actually done it. You can roast them over a gas range in a cast iron pan, but I have an electric cooktop right now... SO, I have opted for the method I have been restrained too over these many years of apartment dwelling... A 425 degree oven.

Roasting Chestnuts

Chestnuts
a bird beak knife or box cutter
Baking Sheet
Towel

First you need to preheat the oven to 425.
Next you need to score your nuts.

I prefer a bird beak knife as it affords me a little more control and less chance of a trip to the emergency room to have my finger sewn back on. (I have heard that a box cutter works well, also)

Firmly grip the chestnut and carefully cut a large "X" on the flat side. (if you are worried about stitches, use a pair of pliers to hold the chestnut while cutting)

Place the chestnuts on a baking sheet.

Move them to the oven for at least 10 minutes, possibly 15 until they have expanded slightly (which is why you need to cut an "X" in them, to keep them from exploding)

Remove from the oven and wrap them in a towel.

Twist the towel to secure the mound of chestnuts and give it a whack on the counter or on the floor or your spouse's head (I'm just kidding about the last one)

This should have cracked the shells a little more.

Let them cool for about 10 minutes before peeling.

Voila! Roasted Chestnuts for your Stuffing, or Cauliflower au Gratin (coming up)

Mangia!!
~~

Simply Eggs-travagent - Eggs en Cocotte (Baked Eggs, Bread Bowl Style)

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:16:00 +0000

I finally gave in this morning.... For the most part, I tend to be an "eggs fried in olive oil" kind of person on the weekdays... it's simple, it's tasty and lets face it, when you are trying to get out the door for an hour commute in the morning, fast is always best. OK, I will admit to the occasional Omelet.

That was, until Sunday.... I was cruisin' around the net while waiting for my Squash to roast when I ran across a recipe on the Noble Pig Winery blog for baked eggs in a bread bowl... The pictures had my mouth watering. I resisted though, I had already eaten breakfast and was about to boil eggs for Thanksgiving anyway... As tasty as it looked, temptation was low.

But this morning, my friend Cathy at Dutch Baker's Daughter made "Chicken in a Basket", "Eggs in a Hole", or "Eggs in a Nest", depending on what part of the country you are from. Unfortunately, I was still drinking coffee when I saw the post this morning. Thoughts of toasty bread wrapped around golden eggs suddenly filled my mind, making it very hard to concentrate on anything else. Sadly, I am out of sliced bread.... But that is OK, cause I still have hard rolls... One way or another, I am having eggs and toast!

And thus it was that, on a weekday, I am made Oeufs en Cocotte (eggs baked in cream); but in a dinner roll instead of a ramekin... It was awesome!

Oeufs en Cocotte

2 hard Dinner rolls (preferably sourdough)
2 Large Eggs
Black Pepper
Kosher Salt
Pecorino Romano
Thyme or Chervil
Olive oil

First you need to preheat your oven to 350 F degrees and grab a couple hard dinner rolls.

Now carefully slice the top 1/4 off, being careful to hold the roll with your palm and keep your thumb out of the way. (We are going for breakfast here, not a trip to the emergency room) ;)

Scoop out the interior of the roll with a fork.

Crack an egg into the depression.

Top with Salt and Pepper along with 1 tsp of Heavy Cream.

Sprinkle with shredded Pecorino Romano.

Place on a baking sheet and move to the oven for 18 minutes (soft yolks) 24 minutes (hard yolks)

For the tops, that you cut off, simply drizzle with Olive Oil, Chervil or Parsley and some Salt and Pepper.

Place these, cut side up, on the baking sheet during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Serve while still hot.

The rolls and nice and crusty while the egg is soft and cheesy. A perfect interpretation of your standard egg and toast breakfast. This is most definitely going into my brunch repertoire.

Mangia!!
~~

The Weather Outside is Frightful, But the Scones are So Delightful - Gingerbread Scones

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 06:11:00 +0000

It's that time of year again... No, I'm not talking about Thanksgiving, and I refuse to acknowledge that Christmas exists until AFTER Thanksgiving...

I am referring to the fact that it is the last month of autumn, and the weather is getting chilly... As a matter of fact, as I sit in front of my laptop, I am watching snowflakes fall out the window. This makes me start craving wintery things like hot chocolate, gingerbread, lentil soup, homemade breads and pot roast.

mmmmm Gingerbread! Luscious Lebkuchen... Whether in actual cake form or cookies.... It's always just what the doctor ordered, even though it's technically a little early. It has always been a traditional Chri... I mean, 25th of December kind of thing in my family.

Luckily, I have an out. Not that I am necessarily opposed to making gingerbread "out of season" but I think these will fit the bill very nicely and they are delicious with Hot Chocolate!

Gingerbread Scones

9.5 oz (270 g) (~2 cups + 2 TB) AP Flour
1 TB Sugar
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Ginger, ground
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Mace
a tiny pinch of Clove
Pinch of Kosher Salt
8 TB (113 g) (4 oz) Unsalted Butter, sliced thin
5 TB + 1 tsp (78 ml) (~1/3 cup) Molasses
5 TB + 1 tsp (78 ml)(~ 1/3 cup) Whole Milk

Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) (GasMark 7) degrees.
Combing Molasses and Milk in a small pitcher or bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Whisk Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Baking soda, Ginger, Cinnamon, Mace, Clove and Salt together in a medium bowl.

Add the slices of Butter,

and work it into the flour with either your fingers or a pastry cutter until you have a fine crumb.

Remove the Milk mixture from the refrigerator and pour it into the Flour mixture.

Stir with a fork to form a soft dough.

Turn out onto a well floured surface.

Roll to about 1/2 inch and press out 2 1/2 inch rounds or, for fun, use a gingerbread cutter to cut scones.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet or use an ungreased "Airbake" pan (I don't use mine very often, but I was out of parchment)

Poke with holes as desired... I got a little creative...

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Carefully open the oven, making sure they don't escape... ;)

Move to a rack and allow to cool just long enough so you won't burn your fingers.
Slather with copious quantities or Crème Fraîche and enjoy!

Now I just need some Hot Chocolate!

Mangia!!
~~

Funnin' Around with Fregola - Fregola Sarda Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:04:00 +0000

This is the first time I have done this in the 3 years I have been blogging about food, so bear with me. I received a free sampler package from Marx Foods... I think I am suppose to put a blurb here about how I am not being paid write a review of any products, nor am I, in any way, affiliated with Marx foods. Blah blah blah blah.... Be that as it may, they have some really cool stuff. :)

Some of that cool stuff showed up on my doorstep and wanted to play in the kitchen.... Some beautifully plump Vanilla beans, burnished red Saffron, Star Anise and this funny looking pasta that, for my love of ALL things Italian, I had never heard of before.... Fregola Sarda.

It's a form of couscous from Sardinia. It's on the larger side, like Israeli couscous, but with one important difference... It's been toasted to bring out a nutty flavor in the durum semolina. Yeah baby! That's what I'm talking 'bout. Just look at how wonderfully mottled it is, like little toasted pearls of deliciousness.

I will admit that when I think of Couscous, I always think of Moroccan or Lebanese dishes. Which was why it was fortuitous that the Fregola was accompanied by Star Anise and Saffron... Two great tastes that taste great together. Or at least they do in Moroccan Semolina soup. Which is where I got my idea for the challenge. Oh, did I forget to mention that? I was asked to utilize the Fregola Sarda and one of the other ingredients from the free sampler to make a dish. Well, being somewhat of an overachiever, I decided to marrying the flavors of that Moroccan soup with the methodology of an Italian risotto... Lightly sweetened and simmered into a beautiful Rice, er, I mean couscous "pudding".

Fregola Sarda Pudding

20 oz (590 ml) (2 1/2 cups) Whole Milk
1 Star Anise
10 Saffron Threads (DON'T overdo it... or it will be bitter)
2 oz (56 g) (~1/4 cup) Caster Sugar
5.2 oz (150 g) (~1 cup) Fregola Sarda

Bring the first 4 ingredients together in a small sauce pan.

Heat just until the milk begins to simmer, then remove from the heat.. cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

Remove the Star Anise and the Saffron threads (I don't like to eat the threads)

Place the Milk back over medium heat and when it begins to simmer again, add the Fregola and stir.

Reduce the flame to low and simmer; stirring (like risotto) until the Fregola is just passed the al dente stage. (20-25 minutes)

Remove from the heat and cover, letting the pudding set for 10 minutes.

Spoon into champagne coups or other serving dishes.

Personally, I like my rice pud.... I mean couscous pudding at room temperature...

The scent was pure heaven. The flavor? Well, what can I say...? It was exotic to say the least; hints of anise wrapped around the grassy saffron and hazel-nutty pearls. Way beyond the realm of mere Tapioca pudding. (Which, historically, has been one of my UN-favorite foods) The texture of the couscous is very different from that of tapioca pearls. It was much more like a golden rice pudding. Honestly, I loved it... A most enjoyable combination of Italy & Morocco... :)

And thanks to Marx Foods for the free samples and opening my mind to the possibilities of this wonderful pasta.

Mangia!!
~~

Happy Thanksgiving, from Italy!?! - Winter Squash Risotto

noreply@blogger.com (Culinary Alchemist) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:40:00 +0000

When someone mentions winter squash, I will be the first to admit, Italy is the furthest thing from my mind. Let's face it; I have been conditioned to respond with, "MMMMMM, Pie". Especially around the Thanksgiving season. But American cooks are not the only ones who prepare this New World vegetable. Oh no. In fact, there is a traditional Risotto recipe from Lombardy (Italy) that is centered around winter squash. Which makes me VERY happy, because I love all things risotto anyway.

OK, I will admit that I am not making this in the traditional way. I am using some turkey stock instead of the traditional vegetable stock of Onions, Carrots, Celery and Leeks. I did add part of a Leek to the Turkey Stock while it simmered though. So I guess this is Pseudo-Traditional. ;)

I chose Red Kuri squash because it has a chestnut like flavor (very northern Italian) and is only mildly sweet. Most importantly though, is that it's a dryer squash. This means that it will hold it's shape better while cooking. Kobacha or Hubbard would be another great choice if you cannot find a Kuri or any of the actual Italian varieties like Berettina Piacentina or Zucca Blu.

I went with the traditional Grana Padano from Lombardy as opposed to Parmigiano-Reggiano from Emilia-Romagna. I think its flavor pairs a little more smoothly with the squash. A touch of Chervil rounds the flavors out nicely, but it's not an absolute necessity.

Risotto con Zucca

12 oz Kuri Squash
3 1/2 - 4 cups Turkey Stock
2 inches of Leek, split
4 TB Butter (divided)
1 Shallot Minced
1 1/4 cups Arborio Rice
1/2 cup Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay
1/3 cup Grana Padano, grated
1 TB Creme Fraiche or Mascarpone
optional - Dried Chervil

First you must dissect your squash.

Slice it in half. (Unlike Butternut squash, Kuri has less meat and more seeds)

Scoop out the seeds (being a dryer squash, the seed come out fairly easily in one large lump)

I usually quarter the squash, simply because it makes peeling a little easier. (12 oz is about 1/2 of a Kuri squash)

Peel and slice the squash into fairly thin slices.

Then cut the slices into little "elongated cubes" (the smaller you dice the squash the faster it will cook)

Begin heating the Turkey Stock with a split Leek in a small saucepan.

Melt 2 TB Butter in a separate saute pan.

Add Squash and Shallot, sauteing until the shallot is translucent. (Yes, it looks like a lot of squash, but the rice swells, it will be OK)

Add Rice and saute until it smells nutty.

Pour in the wine and stir until the wine is absorbed.

Begin adding the Turkey Stock, one ladle-ful at a time, stirring until each addition has been absorbed before adding the next.

Once the rice is al dente, remove from the heat and add the remaining 2 TB of Butter, Grana Padano and Creme Fraiche.

Cover with a towel and allow to set for 3-5 minutes.

If you like, and I DO like, hit it with a little dried Chervil before serving (I cannot find fresh Chervil at this time of year)

Then dish yourself up a huge helping and enjoy not only a taste of Italy, but a taste of Thanksgiving as well.

Mangia!!
~~